Learn About Georgia Warrants

A warrant is a legal document that orders a law enforcement officer to detain a person, conduct a search of his/her property or premises, or confiscate his/her physical possessions. For a warrant to be deemed legal, it has to be issued by a neutral judicial official. It must also be based upon a reasonable belief, supported by tangible proof that a crime has been committed and that the person against whom the warrant has been issued, is involved in the crime.

Georgia Warrant Types

These are the main types of warrants in Georgia: arrest warrants, search warrants, warrants of attachment, and bench warrants.

A Georgia arrest warrant is an order by the court to confine any person suspected of committing a criminal offense.

A Georgia search warrant allows a law enforcement officer to search a person, his/her personal belongings, or a particular premise. The law also states that the officer may carry out arrests on the basis of this search warrant if s/he finds narcotics on a person or within the premises being searched.

A Georgia warrant of attachment is issued when there are conflicts regarding the ownership rights to a property. This warrant empowers a police officer to confiscate a defendant’s properties even before the trial begins.

A bench warrant is issued when a person does not appear at the court on a pre-assigned date.

A legal Georgia warrant document should contain the name of the person to be arrested or the exact location of the area to be searched or a detailed description or listing of the physical possessions of an individual that are to be seized. It also states the details of the crime for which it has been issued.

Georgia Warrant Records

When criminal records are expunged, they are removed from the public domain. No one can view them without acquiring special access rights. As per the guidelines of the Georgia criminal code, a person’s criminal records will be expunged only after s/he has completed the court-ordered prison sentence, or in case of juveniles, after s/he has attained adulthood. The court however, reserves the right to expunge records and considers the graveness of the offense before granting expungement.

As per rules of the Freedom of Information Act, all GA warrant records, except those concerning underage individuals or those ordered sealed by the court, will be available publicly and can be viewed by anyone. Expunged warrant records are also not available on the public domain.

In most US states, the Department of Correctional Services houses detailed information on warrants. You may obtain this information at the departmental office or visit the official websites where these records will be hosted. In Georgia, the Sheriff’s offices of the various counties also maintain warrant records. Many Sheriff’s offices have a dedicated warrants line to attend to the requests of callers. You may also visit the Sheriff’s Office to request warrant information.

The Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) houses detailed information on the warrant records of the various US states. These are categorized under state heads and are thus easy to locate. You can search Georgia warrant records at http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/cjis.htm.

You can also request to view a record in writing and mail it to FBI’s CJIS Division, Attn: SCU, Mod. D-2, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, West Virginia 26306. Remember to send some form of identity proof of the individual whose warrant record you are searching, his/her name, date and place of birth, a set of fingerprint records, and an authorized check or money order of USD 18 along with your request.

The Central Records System maintained and regularly updated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) contains warrant records, including those pertaining to Georgia. These are available at http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/foiaindex.htm. You may also search for Georgia arrest warrant records at FBI’s Reading Room at FBIHQ, 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC between 8:30 am and 2:30 pm. Book well in advance by calling at 202-324-4682.

You may send a request to obtain a copy of an individual’s warrant record to FBI, Record/Information Dissemination Section, 170 Marcel Drive, Winchester, VA 22602-4843.

Georgia warrant information has been made easily accessible as a public safety measure. Search through these records to check on the credentials of a dubious individual.