Oglethorpe County Booking Releases

Oglethorpe County booking releases are maintained by the Sheriff's Office in Lexington, a small town in northeast Georgia. The county is rural and has a low population, so the jail sees fewer bookings than metro-area counties. Despite its size, the sheriff keeps complete records of every person booked into and released from the county jail. These records are public under Georgia law and can be accessed through the sheriff's office or state databases that track inmates across the corrections system.

Sheriff and Jail Records

The Oglethorpe County Sheriff's Office handles all jail operations and booking records for the county. The office and jail are in Lexington. Since the county is small, the sheriff's staff handles a manageable volume of bookings. Every arrest in the county, whether made by a deputy or a local officer, results in a booking at the county jail.

Georgia law at O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7 requires every sheriff to keep records of people held in the county jail. The record must include the inmate's name, booking date, charges, and release date. Oglethorpe County complies with this law and keeps records on file. Even though the county is small, the record-keeping rules are the same as in the biggest Georgia counties.

Contact the Oglethorpe County Sheriff's Office at (706) 743-8101 for info about booking releases. The staff can check the system and give you details over the phone. Written requests may be needed for official copies of records.

Looking Up Booking Releases

Oglethorpe County does not have a public online inmate search portal. This is typical for rural Georgia counties with small jails. The best way to find a booking release is to call the Sheriff's Office directly. Give them the person's name and any other facts you have. They can search their system and let you know the results.

Walk-in requests are also accepted at the sheriff's office during business hours. If you are in the Lexington area, you can stop by and ask staff to look up a record. For older records, the office may need more time to pull them up, and a written request is the safest way to make sure your request gets handled properly.

Georgia law requires sheriffs to maintain records of all inmates held in county jails.

This requirement under state law ensures that every booking and release in Oglethorpe County is documented.

State tools can help too. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search covers inmates who have been sentenced to state prison. The VINE system provides real-time updates on inmate status across all Georgia counties. Both are free and run around the clock.

Open Records Requests

The Georgia Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 gives you the right to request booking release records from the Oglethorpe County Sheriff. Put your request in writing and include the inmate's name and the time frame you are looking at. The county has three business days to respond.

Copies are $0.10 per page. The first 15 minutes of search time is free. In a small county like Oglethorpe, most requests are simple and do not take long. You should get your records without much delay unless the request covers a large number of files.

If the county denies your request, they must explain why. The Open Records Act lists specific exceptions that allow agencies to withhold certain records. Most booking release data does not fall under these exceptions and is available to the public.

Contents of Booking Releases

Oglethorpe County booking release records contain the inmate's full name, date of birth, physical description, charges, booking date, and release date. The arresting agency is listed, along with bond info if bail was set. Each record tells you who was booked, why they were booked, and when they left custody.

Booking photos may be part of the file. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18, Georgia law puts rules on booking photos and how they can be shared. The Sheriff's Office follows these rules. Not every request for a booking photo will be granted, but you can ask when you submit your records request.

Some details may be withheld under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, which lists exemptions from the Open Records Act. Medical info and records connected to active investigations are common examples. The basic booking and release data, however, is public in Georgia.

State Resources

State databases extend your search beyond Oglethorpe County. The GDC offender search shows inmates in state prisons. The VINE notification system tracks custody changes across all counties. These tools fill in the gaps when county records do not cover the full picture.

The GDC Open Records portal and the GBI Open Records portal accept formal records requests at the state level. Use these if the person was transferred from the Oglethorpe County jail into state custody. Both portals are online and respond within three business days.

Start with the county for local arrests. Move to state tools if you need more. Oglethorpe County records stay with the sheriff unless the person enters the state corrections system.

Cities in Oglethorpe County

Oglethorpe County is rural with no large cities. Lexington is the county seat and the main community. Other small towns include Arnoldsville, Crawford, and Maxeys. All arrests in these areas result in bookings at the Oglethorpe County jail, and the sheriff keeps every record.

Nearby Counties

Neighboring counties handle their own booking releases through their respective sheriff offices. Check the right county based on where the arrest occurred.