Charlton County Arrest Records and Busted Mugshots

Charlton County sits at the far southeastern edge of Georgia, bordering Florida and home to the Okefenokee Swamp, with Folkston as its county seat. The Charlton County Sheriff's Office handles all local arrests and busted mugshots. This page covers what resources exist for searching Charlton County arrest records, how Georgia law governs booking photos, and what steps to take if you need certified documents from the county.

Charlton County Sheriff and Booking Data

The Charlton County Sheriff's Office in Folkston is the county's primary law enforcement agency and processes all local jail bookings. Each booking creates a public record that includes the person's name, charges, booking date, and arresting agency. The sheriff's office does not post booking photos online because Georgia law bars law enforcement from doing so. The records exist and are public, but getting them requires a direct request to the office.

Charlton County is rural and sparsely populated, making it one of the quieter counties in Georgia in terms of arrest volume. The local jail capacity reflects that scale. For a quick custody check, calling the Folkston sheriff's office is the most direct route. For certified records or booking photos, a written open records request is the right path, and the office must respond within three business days.

Cases from Charlton County move through Superior Court in Folkston. Felony convictions may result in sentences served in a Georgia Department of Corrections facility. When that happens, the person's record moves from the local county jail system to the state database. Both may need to be checked when researching someone with a longer history.

The screenshot below shows the GBI agency homepage, the state agency responsible for criminal records statewide including those from Charlton County arrests.

The GBI manages criminal history data for all Georgia counties through the GCIC, providing a statewide layer of records that supplements what the Charlton County Sheriff holds locally.

State Databases for Charlton County Arrest and Inmate Records

Several Georgia state tools extend your search for Charlton County busted mugshots and arrest data beyond the local level. The Georgia Crime Information Center, operated by the GBI, holds criminal history records for every county. A GCIC background check covers Charlton County along with the full state. Contact GCIC directly to begin the process. Fees and procedures depend on what type of record you need.

The Georgia Felon Search is a $15 service that returns fast results on felony conviction records statewide. If you want to check whether someone has a felony tied to a Charlton County arrest or any other Georgia case, this is a quick option. It runs through the georgia.gov platform and pulls from official state data. You do not need to submit a formal request to use it.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free and shows photos. It covers state prison inmates, not the local Charlton County Jail. If a person arrested in Charlton County was later convicted of a felony and sent to a state facility, the GDC database is where to check for their current status and a photo.

The screenshot below shows the GDC offender query database, a free tool that includes photos and covers people in state prison including those convicted in Charlton County.

The GDC tool is free and includes photos automatically for people currently in state prison, making it useful for Charlton County cases that resulted in state sentences.

Georgia Law on Charlton County Busted Mugshots

Georgia law shapes how booking photos from Charlton County arrests can be found and used. The main statute is O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19, passed in 2014. This law bars law enforcement in Georgia from posting booking photos on the internet. The Charlton County Sheriff's Office cannot publish mugshots on a public website. Booking photos are still public records, but getting them requires a formal records request rather than an online search.

O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5 (2013) addresses commercial mugshot websites. If such a site posted your Charlton County booking photo, you can demand removal by certified mail. The site must take it down free of charge within 30 days. The Georgia Consumer Protection Division has detailed guidance on how to write the demand letter and which sites fall under this law.

The Georgia Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 sets timelines for formal records requests. Agencies must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of staff time and the first 20 pages are free. After that, pages cost $0.10 each. These rules apply to requests made to the Charlton County Sheriff's Office.

These statutes together clarify why Charlton County booking photos are public records that nonetheless require a formal process to access.

Charlton County Sex Offender Registry and GBI Access

The Georgia Sex Offender Registry, run by the GBI, lets you search for registered offenders in Charlton County by name or address. Photos are included where available. The registry is free and open to the public without any account or fee. It is a separate database from general arrest records, focused only on those required by Georgia law to register as sex offenders.

The GBI's open records portal handles requests for state-held records, including GBI investigative files related to Charlton County cases. If GBI was involved in a local investigation, the relevant records may be at the state level. The portal accepts online submissions and tracks requests through to resolution under the same Open Records Act deadlines as county agencies.

The screenshot below shows the Georgia Sex Offender Registry interface, which covers Charlton County and all of Georgia.

The GBI maintains the registry and updates it regularly. It is one of the few state databases that displays photos for free without a formal request.

Requesting Charlton County Booking Photos and Records

To get a Charlton County booking photo or certified arrest record, contact the Charlton County Sheriff's Office in Folkston with a written open records request. Include the subject's full name and the arrest date or case number if available. A written request is more reliable than a phone call for anything that requires documentation, and it starts the three-business-day clock under the Open Records Act.

For state-level records, the GBI open records portal handles online submissions. Booking photos and local jail records stay with the county sheriff. GCIC criminal history records and GBI investigative files come through the state. For a full picture of a person's record tied to Charlton County, checking both the county and the GBI may be necessary.

Charlton County booking photos are public records. The 2014 statute limits online posting but does not change the public nature of the records themselves. Your right to get them through the formal process is protected under the Open Records Act. Most simple requests for one or two documents will fall within the free threshold and cost nothing to obtain.

The screenshot below shows the Georgia Consumer Protection Division page on mugshot removal rights, applicable to anyone with a Charlton County booking photo on a commercial site.

Georgia law gives residents the right to demand free removal of their Charlton County booking photo from commercial mugshot sites within 30 days.

Cities in Charlton County

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

Nearby Counties

Charlton County borders several southeast Georgia counties and the state of Florida.