Find Dade County Busted Mugshots and Arrest Records

Dade County is Georgia's northwest corner county, bordered by Tennessee to the north and Alabama to the west, with Trenton as its county seat. The Dade County Sheriff's Office handles all local arrests and busted mugshots. This page covers the state resources available for searching Dade County arrest records, how Georgia law governs access to booking photos, and how to submit a formal records request when you need certified documents.

Dade County Sheriff and Local Booking Records

The Dade County Sheriff's Office in Trenton handles all arrests and jail bookings in the county. Each booking generates a public record that includes the person's name, charges, booking date, and arresting agency. Georgia law bars law enforcement from posting booking photos on the internet, so the sheriff's office does not publish a public mugshot gallery. Booking data is accessible through a direct request to the office, and certified records require a written open records request.

Dade County occupies a unique geographic position as Georgia's westernmost county, with Tennessee to the north and Alabama to the west. The county is somewhat isolated from the rest of Georgia by Lookout Mountain, and Trenton sits in a valley. The county sees some cross-state traffic, and some residents may have contacts with law enforcement in neighboring states. For Georgia records, the Dade County Sheriff is the starting point.

Cases from Dade County proceed through Superior Court in Trenton. Felony convictions may result in state prison sentences, at which point records shift from the local jail to the Georgia Department of Corrections. If you are researching someone with ties to both local and state systems, checking both databases gives you the most complete picture.

The screenshot below shows the GBI agency homepage, the state body that maintains criminal records for all Georgia counties including Dade.

The GBI manages the GCIC and holds statewide criminal history including records from Dade County arrests, providing coverage beyond the local sheriff's database.

State Tools for Dade County Arrest Records and Busted Mugshots

Several Georgia state resources extend your search for Dade County busted mugshots and arrest data. The Georgia Crime Information Center, part of the GBI, holds criminal history for every county in Georgia. A GCIC background check covers Dade County along with the full state. Contact GCIC directly to start a check. Fees and procedures vary by type of record and purpose.

The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 and returns fast results on felony conviction records statewide. It is a practical option for checking whether someone has a felony on their record tied to a Dade County arrest or any other Georgia case. The service pulls from official state data through the georgia.gov platform and returns results quickly without a formal request.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free and includes photos. It covers state prison inmates, not the local Dade County Jail. If a person was arrested in Dade County, convicted of a felony, and sent to a state facility, the GDC database has their current status and a photo. The county and state systems are separate and not linked.

The screenshot below shows the Georgia Felon Search service, an official tool for checking statewide felony conviction records including those from Dade County.

The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 and provides instant statewide results, covering felony convictions from Dade County and all other Georgia counties.

Georgia Law on Dade County Busted Mugshots and Booking Photos

Understanding Georgia's laws on booking photos helps explain why Dade County mugshots are not easily found online even though they are public records. The key statute is O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19, passed in 2014. This law bars Georgia law enforcement from posting booking photos on the internet. The Dade County Sheriff's Office cannot publish mugshots on a public website. Booking photos remain public records, but accessing them requires a formal open records request.

O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5 (2013) covers commercial mugshot websites. If such a site posted your Dade County booking photo, you can send a certified mail demand for removal. The site must remove it free of charge within 30 days. The Georgia Consumer Protection Division provides guidance on how to write the demand and which types of sites fall under this law. This protection covers commercial mugshot sites, not news organizations or government databases.

The Georgia Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 governs 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 all requests sent to the Dade County Sheriff's Office.

Dade County residents who want their photo removed from a commercial site have clear rights under Georgia law, and those seeking records have a clear process under the Open Records Act.

Dade County Sex Offender Registry and GBI Records

The Georgia Sex Offender Registry, maintained by the GBI, is searchable by name or address and covers Dade County along with all other Georgia counties. Photos are included where available. The registry is free to use and does not require an account or fee. It is a distinct database from general arrest records and covers only those required by law to register as sex offenders in Georgia.

The GBI's open records portal handles requests for state-held records. If a Dade County case involved GBI investigation, relevant records may be at the state level. The portal accepts online submissions and tracks requests through to completion. The same three-business-day response deadline applies at the state level as at the county.

The screenshot below shows the GBI sex offender registry information page, explaining the registry and how to search it for Dade County and statewide.

The Georgia Sex Offender Registry is maintained by the GBI and provides free photo access for most registrants, covering Dade County and the full state.

Requesting Dade County Booking Photos and Records

To get a Dade County booking photo or certified arrest record, contact the Dade County Sheriff's Office in Trenton with a written open records request. Include the subject's full name and the arrest date or case number if you have them. A written request creates a formal record of your inquiry and starts the three-business-day clock. For a quick custody check, a phone call is faster, but for documents, the written request is the right path.

For state-level records, use the GBI open records portal. Booking photos and local jail records stay at the county. GCIC criminal history and GBI investigative files go through the state portal. For a complete picture of someone's contacts with law enforcement in Dade County, you may need to submit requests to both the county and the GBI.

Keep in mind that Dade County borders Tennessee and Alabama. If someone has records in those states, you would need to work with the relevant agencies in those states separately. Georgia's Open Records Act only covers Georgia agencies. For Dade County Georgia arrests, the local sheriff and state GBI are your two primary sources.

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

Georgia law gives Dade County residents the right to demand free removal of their booking photo from commercial mugshot sites within 30 days under O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5.

Cities in Dade County

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

Nearby Counties

Dade County borders Walker and Catoosa counties in Georgia, and sits along the Tennessee and Alabama state lines.