Dalton, Georgia Busted Mugshots and Arrest Records
Dalton busted mugshots and arrest records are processed through the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office, which handles booking and inmate housing for defendants arrested by Dalton Police and other agencies in the county. Dalton is the county seat of Whitfield County in northwest Georgia and has a population of about 34,970. The Whitfield County Jail is the primary facility for all Dalton-area bookings, and the sheriff's office is the main contact for inmate and arrest record searches.
Dalton Quick Facts
Dalton Arrest Records and Booking at the Whitfield County Jail
When Dalton Police Department officers make an arrest inside city limits, the person is transported to the Whitfield County Jail for booking. Dalton Police does not run its own detention facility. The Whitfield County Sheriff's Office handles all intake and inmate management for the county, including arrests made by the city's police force.
The booking process includes fingerprinting, photographing, and entering the charges into the jail records system. That entry becomes searchable once processing is complete. New bookings can take a few hours to appear in any public database after an arrest. If you are trying to locate someone recently arrested in Dalton and not finding their record, waiting a few hours and trying again is often all that's needed. For immediate custody confirmation, calling the Whitfield County Sheriff directly is faster than searching online.
The Dalton Police Department is at 301 Judson Street, Dalton, GA 30720. For non-emergencies, call 706-278-9085. For arrest reports written by Dalton officers, contact DPD. For booking data and inmate records, the Whitfield County Sheriff is the right agency.
Dalton Busted Mugshots and Whitfield County Inmate Records
The Whitfield County Sheriff's Office maintains all inmate records for people booked into the county jail. This includes arrests by Dalton Police, the sheriff's office, and other law enforcement in the area. To check whether someone is currently in the Whitfield County Jail after a Dalton arrest, contact the sheriff's office or use any available public inmate search tool for the county.
Georgia law under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 prohibits law enforcement agencies from posting booking photos online. So public tools for Whitfield County show arrest data and charge information but not photos. Getting a Dalton booking photo requires a formal open records request to the Whitfield County Sheriff. The Georgia Open Records Act requires the agency to respond within three business days. The Whitfield County page on this site has more information on the jail and how to request records locally.
The screenshot below shows the Georgia statue listing for O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19, the law that bars Georgia law enforcement from posting Dalton booking photos online.
This statute is the main reason Dalton and Whitfield County booking photos are not available through public online portals. Photos require a formal open records request to obtain.
Georgia Law on Dalton Booking Photos and Mugshot Websites
Three Georgia laws are worth knowing if you are searching for Dalton busted mugshots or want to remove a booking photo from a third-party site. O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 blocks Georgia law enforcement agencies from posting booking photos on the internet. The Whitfield County Sheriff and Dalton Police both operate under this law. Public inmate search tools show charge data, not photos.
O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5 applies to third-party mugshot websites. If a Dalton booking photo appears on one of those sites, the subject can request free removal within 30 days by sending a certified-mail request. The Georgia Consumer Protection Division provides a plain-language guide on this law and what the removal request needs to include. Qualifying criteria apply, so it is worth reading before drafting anything.
The Georgia Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 covers all public records requests submitted to Dalton Police or the Whitfield County Sheriff. Agencies have three business days to respond. The first 15 minutes of staff time and first 20 pages are provided at no charge. Pages beyond 20 are $0.10 each.
Statewide Resources for Dalton Arrest Records
Statewide Georgia tools can help when searching Dalton arrest records beyond the county level. The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC), operated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, keeps criminal history records statewide. A GCIC request covers Whitfield County arrests, charges, and case outcomes. The GBI processes formal open records requests through its online portal and also manages the statewide criminal history system used by courts and law enforcement.
The Georgia Felon Search at georgia.gov charges $15 and gives instant results on felony conviction records across Georgia. It is a direct way to check whether someone has a felony tied to a Dalton or Whitfield County case. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender query is free and covers state prison inmates with photos. The Georgia Sex Offender Registry is free, searchable by name or location, and covers registered offenders in the Dalton area.
The screenshot below shows the Georgia Sex Offender Registry, maintained by the GBI and searchable for registered offenders in Dalton and the broader Whitfield County area.
The Georgia Sex Offender Registry is free and searchable by name or address. It covers all registered offenders in Dalton and across the state.
County Resources
Dalton is the county seat of Whitfield County. The county page has more detail on the jail, inmate database, and arrest records access in Whitfield County.