Walker County Busted Mugshots and Jail Records

Walker County sits in Northwest Georgia near Chattanooga, Tennessee, and its Sheriff's Office operates the county jail in LaFayette where people arrested on local charges are booked and held. If you're trying to find Walker County busted mugshots or arrest records, the Walker County Sheriff's website and state-level Georgia databases are your main starting points for locating current inmates and booking history.

Walker County Sheriff's Office and Detention Division

The Walker County Sheriff's Office maintains its website at walkerso.com. The jail division page is at walkerso.com/detention.php, which covers facility operations, booking procedures, and how to reach the detention center. Captain Monica Foster commands the jail division and can be reached at (706) 638-1909, extension 1264.

The Walker County jail is a smaller facility compared to metro Atlanta counties, averaging around 200 inmates per day. It runs with a staff of 35 employees who cover all jail functions including medical services and food service. Despite the smaller scale, the facility operates with round-the-clock supervision. Shift supervisors are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and detention officers work alternating 12-hour shifts on a two-day on, two-day off rotation.

When someone is arrested in Walker County, they go through standard booking regardless of charge type. After booking is complete, inmates can use the telephone to contact family, an attorney, or a bondsman. That initial phone access is one of the first things a newly booked person has in Walker County following an arrest. Calls must wait until the booking process wraps up.

Walker County Jail Operations and Inmate Services

The Walker County jail is a smoke-free facility. Tobacco, lighters, and matches are strictly prohibited inside. Violations of this rule are taken seriously, and contraband searches are part of regular operations. All detention officers at Walker County complete the required Georgia P.O.S.T. Jail Officer Training before working with inmates, and additional training is required annually. This training standard is set at the state level and applies to all certified jail officers throughout Georgia.

Inmate services at Walker County include access to an on-staff chaplain and church service programs, plus commissary, television, telephone access, mail, and personal visitation. Commissary lets inmates purchase small personal items using funds deposited in their accounts. Telephone access allows outgoing calls during approved hours. Mail is delivered and sent under monitoring consistent with jail policy.

The jail holds both pre-trial inmates awaiting court dates and people serving sentences for lesser offenses while they wait for transfer to the Georgia Department of Corrections for longer sentences. When you search Walker County busted mugshots or arrest records, most people in the facility at any given time are in the pre-trial category, meaning they have not yet been found guilty of the charges listed in their booking records.

Note: Walker County arrest records and booking information reflect accusations, not convictions. A booking photo from the Walker County jail is created at the time of arrest, not at the time of any finding of guilt.

Open Records Requests for Walker County Arrest Records

Georgia's Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 covers records held by the Walker County Sheriff's Office. Arrest logs, booking records, and incident reports fall within the scope of public records under this law. Agencies must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of staff time costs nothing. The first 20 pages of copies are free. Additional pages can be charged up to $0.10 each.

To request Walker County arrest records, contact the sheriff's office through its website at walkerso.com or call the jail division at (706) 638-1909, extension 1264. For records beyond the local level, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation accepts requests through its open records portal. The GBI GCIC holds statewide criminal history data for all counties including Walker.

Georgia Statewide Records for Walker County Searches

For searches that go beyond the local jail, Georgia's statewide tools cover Walker County. The Georgia Department of Corrections Offender Query is free and covers people who served time in state prisons. Photos appear automatically in results. For felony conviction history, the Georgia Felon Search costs $15 and pulls results instantly from GCIC.

The GBI Sex Offender Registry covers Walker County registrants and can be searched by name, address, city, or zip code. Georgia law under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 bars law enforcement from posting booking photos on their own websites, which is why you won't find booking photos on the Walker County Sheriff's site even when other booking data is available. Booking photos require a formal open records request.

The GBI manages statewide criminal records for all Georgia counties including Walker. The screenshot below shows the GBI's Georgia Felon Search tool, which lets you confirm felony conviction history statewide.

The Georgia Felon Search at georgia.gov costs $15 per search and provides instant GCIC results for felony convictions statewide, covering Walker County and all other Georgia counties.

Mugshot Removal Rights in Walker County

Georgia's mugshot law at O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5 gives you the right to demand free removal of your booking photo from commercial sites within 30 days for qualifying arrests. Send your request by certified mail to the website. Include your full name, date of birth, the date of the arrest, and the arresting agency name (Walker County Sheriff). No payment can be required. If the site charges a fee or refuses, report it to the Georgia Consumer Protection Division.

Georgia passed this law in 2013, making it one of the first states to address commercial mugshot removal directly. The law applies to third-party websites, not to government law enforcement sites. Walker County booking photos held by the sheriff's office are governed by the Open Records Act, not the mugshot removal statute. Your 30-day removal window starts from the date the certified letter is received by the site.

The screenshot below shows the GBI Sex Offender Registry, which covers Walker County registrants and is maintained by the GBI for public access statewide.

The GBI Sex Offender Registry at state.sor.gbi.ga.gov lets you search by location or name for registrants in Walker County and across Georgia.

Nearby Counties

Walker County borders several counties in Northwest Georgia and sits close to the Tennessee state line. Each neighboring county has its own jail and arrest record system.