Liberty County Booking Release Records
Liberty County booking releases are managed by the Liberty County Sheriff's Office in Hinesville. Home to Fort Stewart, one of the largest military installations on the east coast, this county handles a significant number of civilian bookings each year. The sheriff operates the county jail and maintains all booking and release records for the area. Military arrests on post are handled by federal authorities, but civilian arrests in Hinesville and the surrounding area go through the county system. You can access booking release data by contacting the sheriff's office or through state databases.
Liberty County Quick Facts
Sheriff's Office and Booking Records
The Liberty County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and keeps records of all bookings and releases. The main office is in Hinesville. You can call during business hours to check on current or past inmates. The sheriff's staff processes every civilian arrest in the county and logs the details into their jail management system.
Under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7, the sheriff has to keep a record of each person held in the jail. This means every booking gets logged with the person's name, the charges, the booking date, and the release date. Liberty County has a higher volume than some rural counties because of the population around Fort Stewart. The jail sees a steady flow of bookings throughout the year.
The Georgia Sheriffs' Association maintains a directory of all county sheriff offices across the state.
You can use this directory to find contact details for the Liberty County Sheriff's Office and every other county sheriff in Georgia.
For in-person visits, the sheriff's office in Hinesville accepts walk-in requests. Staff can check the system while you wait. If the record you need is older or requires copies, they may ask you to submit a written open records request. This keeps things organized and gives you a paper trail for your request.
How to Search Booking Releases
The quickest way to find Liberty County booking releases depends on how recent the booking is. For current inmates, call the jail and ask. Staff can confirm if someone is in custody and what charges they face. For recent bookings, check if the sheriff's office posts a jail roster online. Some Georgia counties share this information on their websites or social media pages.
For older records, you have a couple of options. You can file an open records request with the sheriff's office, or you can check state-level databases. The GDC offender search covers anyone serving a state sentence. If the person you are looking for moved from the Liberty County Jail to a state prison, their record will show up there.
The VINE notification system is another useful tool. It works for Liberty County and all other counties in Georgia. Search by name to find an inmate, then register for alerts. You get notified when their status changes. It's free and works around the clock. This is especially helpful if you want to know the moment someone gets released from the Liberty County Jail.
Open Records for Liberty County Booking Releases
Georgia's Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 applies to all county agencies, including the Liberty County Sheriff's Office. You have the right to request booking release records without giving a reason. Put your request in writing and send it to the sheriff's office. Include the person's name and any other identifying information you have.
The county must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of search time is free. After that, they can charge for the time spent locating your records. Copies cost $0.10 per page. Most booking release requests are simple enough that they fall within that free window. Larger requests involving many records may have additional charges.
If your request gets denied, you can ask for the specific legal reason. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, certain records are exempt from disclosure. These include records tied to active investigations, juvenile cases, and sealed court orders. Standard adult booking releases in Liberty County are public records and rarely get denied.
What Booking Releases Contain
Each Liberty County booking release record holds key details about the arrest and detention. The record shows the inmate's full name, date of birth, and physical description. It includes the booking date, charges, arresting agency, bond information, and any warrant numbers. When the person is released, the record gets updated with the release date and method.
Booking photographs are part of the process but have their own rules under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18. This Georgia law sets limits on when and how mugshots can be released to the public. Liberty County follows these guidelines. If you request booking photos, the sheriff's office will review your request against this law.
Note that military arrests at Fort Stewart are not part of the Liberty County booking system. Those are handled by federal military authorities. If you need records from an on-post arrest, you would need to contact the military police or the appropriate federal office, not the county sheriff.
Statewide Booking Release Resources
State tools can supplement what you find at the Liberty County level. The GDC offender search shows inmates in the state prison system. The GDC Open Records portal handles requests for state corrections records. The GBI Open Records portal covers requests to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
These portals accept online submissions and track your request from start to finish. They are useful when the records you need cross county lines or involve the state corrections system. All searches are free, though copies of records may carry a fee.
Cities in Liberty County
Hinesville is the largest city in Liberty County and the county seat. Arrests made in Hinesville are processed through the Liberty County Sheriff's Office, and booking releases are maintained at the county level.
Other communities in Liberty County include Midway, Walthourville, Flemington, and Allenhurst. Bookings from these areas also go through the county sheriff.
Nearby Counties
If the arrest took place outside Liberty County, check the neighboring county where it happened. Each Georgia county maintains separate booking release records.