Search Valdosta Busted Mugshots and Arrest Records
Valdosta busted mugshots and arrest records come from the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office, which runs the jail serving this city of about 55,667 people in southern Georgia near the Florida line. The Valdosta Police Department is the primary city law enforcement agency, and arrests made in Valdosta are booked at the Lowndes County Jail. That booking system is the main public source for Valdosta arrest records and inmate data.
Valdosta Quick Facts
Which County Handles Valdosta Arrest Records
Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County. All arrests made in the city by the Valdosta Police Department or other agencies operating in Valdosta are booked at the Lowndes County Jail, which is run by the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office. As the county seat, Valdosta is at the center of the county's law enforcement and judicial system. The same jail that serves the city also serves all of unincorporated Lowndes County and smaller communities in the area.
The Valdosta Police Department is located at 112 S Toombs Street, Valdosta, GA 31601. The non-emergency number is 229-293-3145. When VPD officers make an arrest, the defendant is transported to the Lowndes County Jail for booking. The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office runs the jail separately from the city police function. For booking records and inmate data, you search the sheriff's system, not the police department's records.
Valdosta is near the Georgia-Florida border. Arrests involving interstate traffic or federal matters may be processed through different channels. For most local arrests in Valdosta by city or county officers, the Lowndes County Sheriff's inmate search is the right starting point.
The Valdosta city portal provides information about city services including the police department, as shown below.
The Valdosta city website links to local police, city court, and other municipal resources that are part of how Valdosta arrest records and cases are processed.
Valdosta Police Department
The Valdosta Police Department has served the city for over 100 years and is one of the larger municipal police forces in southern Georgia. The department is at 112 S Toombs Street, Valdosta, GA 31601. Call 229-293-3145 for non-emergencies, or 911 for active emergencies. VPD handles patrol, investigations, traffic enforcement, and all types of arrests within city limits.
Valdosta also has a municipal court that handles ordinance violations and city misdemeanors. City court records are separate from the county booking system. If you are looking for a city court case rather than a county jail booking, contact the Valdosta Municipal Court rather than the Lowndes County Sheriff. For felony arrests and most serious misdemeanor bookings in Valdosta, the county jail is where the records live.
The Georgia State Patrol has a presence in the Valdosta area and handles highway arrests and other state-level matters. GSP arrests may be processed through the Lowndes County Jail or handled separately depending on the case. If you can't find someone in the county system, checking whether a state agency made the arrest is worth considering.
Lowndes County Inmate Search for Valdosta Arrests
The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office maintains the inmate search system for all bookings in the county, including those from Valdosta arrests. The Lowndes County Sheriff's website is at lowndescountysheriff.com. Check the site for the current inmate roster and search options. If the online search is unavailable, you can call the Lowndes County Jail directly to inquire about a specific person. Providing the person's full name and date of birth helps staff locate the record.
For formal records, submit an open records request to the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office. Under the Georgia Open Records Act, the agency must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of staff time costs nothing, and the first 20 pages are free. Additional pages run $0.10 each. You can also submit a request to the Valdosta Police Department for incident reports and other city-held documents that are separate from the county booking records.
For a complete overview of the Lowndes County jail and arrest record system, visit the Lowndes County busted mugshots page. That page covers the jail facility, open records contacts, legal resources, and related tools for Valdosta and the rest of Lowndes County.
The screenshot below shows the Georgia Bureau of Investigation homepage, which oversees GCIC, the sex offender registry, and other statewide criminal history resources.
The GBI's resources cover all of Georgia, including Lowndes County and Valdosta, and supplement what the local county inmate search provides for public arrest data.
Georgia Law on Arrest Photos and Mugshot Websites
Georgia law restricts how booking photos are shared. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19, law enforcement agencies in Georgia cannot post booking photos on the internet. The Lowndes County Sheriff's inmate system does not display mugshots because of this law. Charges, custody status, and other booking details are public, but photos are not published through the official county portal. This rule is statewide and applies everywhere in Georgia, including Valdosta.
Third-party websites often publish Valdosta booking photos gathered from open records requests. Georgia law gives you a way to get those photos removed. Under O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5, mugshot companies must remove photos within 30 days at no charge when the arrest qualifies for record restriction. You make the request by certified mail. The Georgia Consumer Protection Division has a guide that explains the process and which sites are covered by the law.
The Georgia Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 gives you the legal right to request records from the Lowndes County Sheriff, the Valdosta Police Department, and any other Georgia government agency. Agencies must respond within three business days. This law is the basis for all formal public records requests in Georgia.
The screenshot below shows the Georgia Consumer Protection Division page on mugshot removal, which explains your rights under O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5.
Valdosta residents who have arrest photos on third-party websites can use the process described on this page to request removal at no charge within 30 days.
Statewide Resources for Valdosta Arrest Records
Beyond the Lowndes County inmate search, several state tools cover Valdosta arrest and conviction records. The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC), run by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, maintains statewide criminal history data for all 159 counties. Valdosta arrests flow into GCIC after booking and court processing. The GBI handles formal requests for criminal history data through its online open records portal.
The Georgia Felon Search at georgia.gov costs $15 and provides instant felony conviction results statewide. This covers Lowndes County and Valdosta arrests that led to felony convictions. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free and shows photos for people in state prison. Many Valdosta felony cases end in state prison sentences, so the GDC database may have records that the county inmate search does not show. The Georgia Sex Offender Registry is free and includes photos of registered sex offenders in Valdosta and Lowndes County.
The screenshot below shows the Georgia Sex Offender Registry public search page, where anyone can search by name or location for offenders registered in Valdosta and Lowndes County.
The Georgia SOR is run by the GBI and is updated regularly. It is free and includes photos, making it one of the most useful public safety tools available to Valdosta residents.
Lowndes County Arrest Records
Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, and all city arrests are processed through the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office booking system. For full details on the county jail, inmate search, and open records contacts, visit the Lowndes County page.