Find Wilkes County Booking Releases

Wilkes County booking releases are maintained by the Wilkes County Sheriff's Office in Washington, Georgia, the county seat. This east Georgia county processes all jail bookings through one facility run by the sheriff. The office logs every arrest, tracks inmates through the system, and records releases. You can access booking release information by contacting the sheriff's office by phone, visiting in person, or submitting an open records request under Georgia law. Wilkes County keeps records of all people who have passed through the county jail.

Wilkes County Sheriff and Jail

The Wilkes County Sheriff's Office is the custodian of all booking release records in the county. The jail in Washington processes every arrest made by local police, sheriff's deputies, and state officers in the area. Staff create a booking record for each person and update it when they are released.

Under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7, each Georgia sheriff has to keep a log of all people held in the county jail. Wilkes County follows this law. The log contains names, booking dates, charges, and release information for every inmate. These records are maintained on file and can be requested by the public.

Washington, Georgia, should not be confused with Washington County, which is a different county with its seat in Sandersville. Wilkes County is its own separate jurisdiction. If you are looking for booking releases, make sure you are contacting the right office. The Wilkes County Sheriff's Office in Washington handles records only for Wilkes County.

How to Search Wilkes County Bookings

Call the Wilkes County Sheriff's Office in Washington to check on a booking release. Give the staff the person's name and date of birth if you have it. They can search the jail system and tell you the person's status. In a smaller county, these lookups are usually fast.

Check the sheriff's website to see if there is an online jail roster. If available, you can look up current inmates and recent releases by name. Not all small counties have this tool, so the phone may be your best option.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association keeps contact details for every sheriff's office in the state.

This directory helps you find phone numbers and addresses for the Wilkes County Sheriff's Office and other Georgia counties.

For written copies of booking release records, submit a request to the sheriff's office. Include the person's full name, any dates you know, and your contact details. The office will respond with what records are available. This is the way to get official copies for your files.

Open Records for Wilkes County Booking Releases

Georgia's Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 gives anyone the right to request booking release records from Wilkes County. The law applies across the state to all public agencies. No reason is needed for the request.

Wilkes County has three business days to respond. The office can provide the records, tell you they need more time, or explain if part of the request is denied. Copies cost $0.10 per page. The first 15 minutes of staff time to search for records are free. Most requests for a single person's booking data fall within that window.

A specific request gets faster results. Name the person, provide dates, and include any case numbers or booking numbers you know about. Broad requests covering many people or long time periods take more work and may cost more.

What Booking Releases Include

Wilkes County booking release records contain the person's full name, date of birth, physical description, charges, arresting agency, booking date, and release date. Bond details appear when applicable. The record captures the core facts about the arrest and time in custody.

Booking photos are handled under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18, which sets rules for sharing mugshots in Georgia. Wilkes County follows these rules when processing requests for booking photographs.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, certain records can be withheld. Active investigations, juvenile cases, and sealed court orders are common exemptions. The sheriff's office will explain any denials if they apply to your request.

Statewide Booking Release Search Resources

For searches beyond Wilkes County, use state databases. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search lets you find anyone in state prison. If someone booked in Wilkes County was transferred to state corrections, this tool shows their status.

The VINE notification system covers all Georgia counties. Register for free alerts when an inmate's status changes. It works for Wilkes County and every other county in the state.

State open records portals for the GDC and GBI handle requests for records from state agencies that go beyond county-level data.

Cities in Wilkes County

Wilkes County has no cities with populations above 100,000. Washington is the county seat and the largest community. Tignall and Rayle are smaller towns in the county. All arrests across Wilkes County are processed through the sheriff's office, and booking release records are in one central system.

Nearby Counties

Neighboring counties each maintain their own jail and booking records. Be sure to search the county where the arrest happened.