Search Gilmer County Busted Mugshots and Arrest Records

Gilmer County is a North Georgia mountain county with a population of about 32,923 and Ellijay as its county seat. The Gilmer County Sheriff's Office handles all local bookings and jail operations. If you want to search Gilmer County busted mugshots, arrest records, or inmate booking data, this page covers the main local and statewide tools available for that search.

Gilmer County Sheriff Inmate Search and Booking Records

The Gilmer County Sheriff's Office operates the county jail in Ellijay and is the primary agency for local arrest records and busted mugshots. The sheriff's office is located at 1 Westside Square, Suite 101, Ellijay, GA 30540. You can reach them by phone at (706) 635-4151. Calling the jail directly is the fastest way to check current inmate status. Staff can confirm custody status and provide initial charge information over the phone during business hours.

Gilmer County does not operate a public online inmate roster. Phone contact and written records requests are the main options for getting Gilmer County arrest records. The Gilmer County Courthouse in Ellijay holds Superior Court records for criminal cases that advance past the booking stage. Gilmer County is part of the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, which covers several North Georgia mountain counties. Felony cases from Gilmer County busted mugshots and local arrests move through the Blue Ridge Circuit for prosecution and sentencing.

Gilmer County has grown significantly over the past two decades and has become a popular destination, which means the volume of arrests tied to tourism, DUI enforcement, and drug offenses is higher than in many comparably sized counties. The Ellijay Police Department operates within the city limits, and those arrests are booked into the Gilmer County Jail. So whether the arrest comes from city police or the county sheriff's office, the jail booking records are all kept at the same facility.

The screenshot below shows the Georgia Department of Corrections offender query database, a free state tool with photos for all state prison inmates who may have prior Gilmer County arrest records.

The GDC search covers all Georgia state correctional facilities and is freely available to anyone looking for photo-included inmate records at the state level.

Georgia Law on Booking Photos and Gilmer County Mugshot Websites

Georgia's 2014 statute, O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19, prohibits Georgia law enforcement from posting booking photos on the internet. The Gilmer County Sheriff follows this law. You can get a booking photo through a formal written open records request, but there is no public mugshot gallery on the county's official website. Third-party sites that display Gilmer County busted mugshots collect data from other public channels and operate independently of the sheriff's office.

Georgia gives you removal rights if your photo shows up on a mugshot site. Under O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5 (2013), mugshot companies must remove photos free of charge within 30 days when you send a certified mail request and the arrest qualifies for record restriction. The Georgia Consumer Protection Division explains the process in detail and covers which types of arrests qualify for this protection. The law applies to Gilmer County busted mugshots on covered websites.

Under the Georgia Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, agencies must respond to public records requests within three business days. The first 15 minutes of staff time is free. The first 20 pages cost nothing. Pages beyond that are $0.10 each. Submit your written request for Gilmer County arrest records or booking photos to the sheriff's office in Ellijay.

The screenshot below shows the Georgia statute page for O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19, the 2014 law that bans Georgia law enforcement from posting booking photos online.

This statute explains why the Gilmer County Sheriff does not display busted mugshots publicly online, even though booking photos remain requestable as public records through written channels.

Statewide Databases for Gilmer County Arrest Records

Several free Georgia tools supplement local Gilmer County records. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free and shows photos for state prison inmates. If a Gilmer County arrest led to a state sentence, the record may appear there. The Georgia Sex Offender Registry is free, searchable by name, and includes photos for all Georgia counties.

For felony conviction records, the Georgia Felon Search costs $15 and returns instant statewide results. The GCIC and the GBI handle formal criminal history requests that pull all arrests and dispositions reported from Gilmer County law enforcement agencies to the state. This is the most complete source for a Georgia-wide arrest history that includes Gilmer County records.

The screenshot below shows the Georgia Bureau of Investigation homepage, the main state agency managing criminal history and statewide open records in Georgia.

GBI and GCIC together cover all 159 Georgia counties, making them the broadest source for verified, statewide arrest history including Gilmer County records.

Open Records Requests for Gilmer County Busted Mugshots

For certified copies of Gilmer County arrest records or booking photos, submit a written request to the Gilmer County Sheriff's Office at 1 Westside Square, Suite 101, Ellijay, GA 30540. Include the subject's full name, date of birth, and any booking number or arrest date you have. The office must respond within three business days under the Georgia Open Records Act. If the record exists and isn't restricted, you'll receive it or a cost estimate for staff time and copying fees.

For a statewide criminal history that includes Gilmer County arrests and dispositions, use the GBI open records request portal. A GBI-certified record from GCIC pulls all arrests and dispositions from Gilmer County law enforcement reported to the state and gives you the most thorough view of someone's Georgia arrest history.

Cities in Gilmer County

Ellijay is the county seat and main city in Gilmer County. East Ellijay is a neighboring community. No cities in Gilmer County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. Arrest records for Ellijay and other Gilmer County communities are handled through the Gilmer County Sheriff's Office and the statewide resources listed on this page.

Nearby Counties

Gilmer County borders several North Georgia mountain counties. Each has its own inmate search and arrest record resources.