Brooks County Arrest Records and Busted Mugshots

Brooks County is located in south Georgia near the Florida state line, with Quitman as its county seat. The Brooks County Sheriff's Office manages all local bookings and is the primary source for arrest records and busted mugshots in the county. This page covers the state tools available for Brooks County record searches, how Georgia law governs booking photo access, and how to submit a formal request if you need certified documents.

Brooks County Sheriff and Local Booking Records

The Brooks County Sheriff's Office in Quitman handles all arrests and bookings in the county. Each person booked into the Brooks County Jail gets a record that includes name, charges, booking date, and arresting agency. These records are public documents under Georgia law. The sheriff's office does not post mugshots online because state law prohibits it, but the booking data is available through a direct request to the office.

Brooks County is a small rural county, and the jail operates with limited capacity. For a quick custody check, calling the sheriff's office is usually faster than sending a written request. If you need a certified copy of an arrest report or a booking photo, a written open records request is the proper channel. The office must respond within three business days under the Georgia Open Records Act.

The county seat of Quitman is home to both the sheriff's office and the Brooks County Courthouse, where criminal cases proceed through Superior Court. Felony cases originating in Brooks County may result in state prison sentences, at which point records shift from the county jail system to the Georgia Department of Corrections. Checking both databases gives you a fuller picture when someone has had multiple contacts with law enforcement.

The screenshot below shows the GBI agency homepage, which oversees statewide criminal records and supports county-level systems like the one in Brooks County.

The GBI manages criminal history data for all Georgia counties and operates the GCIC division, which is a key resource for Brooks County record searches.

State Resources for Brooks County Arrest and Inmate Records

Several statewide tools give you options beyond the local sheriff's office for finding Brooks County busted mugshots and arrest records. The Georgia Crime Information Center, part of the GBI, maintains criminal history records for every county in the state. A GCIC background check pulls data from all Georgia counties, so it covers Brooks County records along with everything else. Contact GCIC directly to initiate a check and ask about current fees and turnaround times.

The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 and provides fast results on felony conviction records statewide. If you want to check whether someone has a felony record tied to a Brooks County case, this tool gives you an answer without a formal request. It runs through the official georgia.gov platform and pulls from state-maintained data. Results come back quickly and cover all Georgia counties.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free and shows photos. It covers state prison inmates only, not people in the local Brooks County Jail. But for anyone who served or is serving a state sentence after a Brooks County conviction, the GDC database is where to look. It is separate from the county system and operates independently.

The screenshot below shows the Georgia Department of Corrections offender search, which is free and includes photos for state prison inmates.

The GDC tool is useful when a Brooks County arrest led to a felony conviction and a state prison sentence, shifting the record out of the local jail system.

Georgia Law on Brooks County Busted Mugshots and Booking Photos

Georgia law shapes how busted mugshots from Brooks County are accessed in two important ways. First, O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 (2014) bars law enforcement agencies from posting booking photos on the internet. The Brooks County Sheriff follows this law. Booking photos exist as public records, but they are not available in any online gallery maintained by the sheriff's office. A formal request is required to get them.

Second, O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5 (2013) addresses commercial mugshot websites. If one of these sites published your booking photo from a Brooks County arrest, you can send a certified mail demand for removal. The site must remove the photo free of charge within 30 days. The Georgia Consumer Protection Division has guidance on how to write the demand and what to include. This law covers commercial sites only and does not apply to news organizations.

The Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 sets clear rules. Agencies must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of staff time and the first 20 pages are free. Pages beyond that cost $0.10 each. These rules apply when you request documents from the Brooks County Sheriff or any other Georgia law enforcement agency.

These three statutes together define the legal framework for accessing Brooks County arrest records and booking photos in Georgia.

Brooks County Sex Offender Registry and GBI Records Access

The Georgia Sex Offender Registry, run by the GBI, is searchable by name or address and covers all Georgia counties including Brooks. Photos are included for most registrants. The registry is free to access and gives you a way to check on registered offenders in the Brooks County area without a formal request or fee. It is maintained separately from the general arrest records database.

The GBI's open records portal is the right tool for requesting GBI-held records related to Brooks County cases. If GBI investigated a case in the county, relevant records may be at the state level. The portal handles submissions online and tracks requests through to completion. The same three-business-day response rule applies to GBI requests as to county-level requests.

The screenshot below shows the GBI open records request system, which covers state-level records including those tied to Brooks County cases.

The GBI portal accepts online submissions for state-held records and is useful when a Brooks County case involved state investigation or prosecution.

Requesting Brooks County Arrest Records and Booking Photos

To get a Brooks County booking photo or certified arrest record, contact the Brooks County Sheriff's Office in Quitman. A written request is more reliable than a phone call when you need documentation. Include the full name of the subject and any identifying details like arrest date or case number. That helps staff locate the record within the free search time, reducing any fees that might apply.

For state records, use the GBI open records portal. Booking photos and jail records stay with the county sheriff, but criminal history records maintained by GCIC and any GBI investigative files are accessed through the state portal. If your research covers both the local booking and the broader case history, you may need to submit requests to both the county and the state.

Brooks County booking photos are public records, but the 2014 state law keeps them off public websites. Your right to request them through the proper channel is protected under the Open Records Act. Expect a small fee if your request exceeds the free threshold. Most basic requests that generate a handful of pages or less will fall within the no-cost window.

The screenshot below shows the Georgia Consumer Protection Division's guidance on mugshot websites and the steps Georgia residents can take to demand removal under state law.

Georgia law requires commercial mugshot sites to remove photos free of charge within 30 days when the arrest qualifies for restriction, giving Brooks County residents a clear path to photo removal.

Cities in Brooks County

No city in Brooks County currently meets the 25,000 population threshold for a dedicated busted mugshots page. For arrest records in Quitman, contact the Brooks County Sheriff's Office directly.

Nearby Counties

Brooks County borders several south Georgia counties, each with its own arrest record resources.