Washington County Arrest Records and Busted Mugshots

Washington County is a central Georgia county with its seat in Sandersville, and the Washington County Sheriff's Office manages all local arrest records, bookings, and busted mugshots for the county. If you want to search Washington County arrest records, find information about a current inmate, or access booking photos tied to a case in Sandersville or anywhere in Washington County, the sheriff's office is the main contact and the statewide tools on this page are additional resources for Georgia criminal history searches.

Washington County Sheriff Inmate Search and Booking Records

The Washington County Sheriff's Office in Sandersville handles all local law enforcement and operates the county detention facility. Washington County has a population of around 20,400, putting it in the mid-range for Georgia county populations. The jail processes arrests from local deputies, state patrol, and other law enforcement agencies working in the county. Booking records are created for each arrest and are maintained as public records under Georgia law.

Washington County busted mugshots are taken at the time of booking. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19, the sheriff cannot post these photos on a public website. There is no online mugshot gallery for Washington County. To get a booking photo, file an open records request with the sheriff's office. Bring the subject's name and arrest date. A booking number helps speed up the search. The office must respond within three business days under state law. The first 15 minutes of search time and first 20 copies are free, with $0.10 per page after that.

Washington County is part of the Washington Judicial Circuit for superior court purposes. The circuit includes Washington and Johnson counties. The circuit court clerk maintains felony case records separately from the sheriff's booking files. If you need to know what charges were filed in a specific case, whether someone was convicted, or when they were sentenced, the superior court clerk's office is the right contact. Some case data may also be accessible through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Authority online portal.

The screenshot below shows the Georgia Department of Corrections offender query database, which covers Washington County residents who were sentenced to state prison.

The GDC database is free to search and shows photos for current and former state inmates from Washington County convictions.

Georgia Law Covering Washington County Booking Photos

Three Georgia laws shape how Washington County busted mugshots and arrest records are handled. The first is O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19, which prohibits law enforcement from posting booking photos publicly online. This law took effect in 2014 and applies to Washington County Sheriff just as it does to every other Georgia law enforcement agency. Booking photos exist and are public records, but access requires a formal request rather than a web search.

The second is O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5, which covers private mugshot websites. These companies collect and publish arrest photos without being a law enforcement agency. Under this 2013 statute, a mugshot website must remove a photo free of charge within 30 days of a certified mail request when the arrest is eligible for record restriction. The Georgia Consumer Protection Division has detailed guidance on how to make this request and which companies must comply with the law. This is the process to follow if a Washington County booking photo appears on one of these sites.

The third is O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, the Georgia Open Records Act. This law gives any member of the public the right to inspect and copy records from Georgia government agencies. Washington County Sheriff is a covered agency. Agencies must respond within three business days, and the first 15 minutes of search time and first 20 pages are free under this law.

Statewide Search Tools for Washington County Records

The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC), part of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, maintains criminal history data for all Georgia counties. Arrests from Washington County are reported to GCIC and included in statewide history checks. If you want a full picture of someone's Georgia criminal history rather than just what happened in Washington County, a GCIC request through the GBI is the most thorough option available to the public.

The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 and gives instant access to felony conviction records statewide. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free and shows photos of current and former state inmates, including those from Washington County. The Georgia Sex Offender Registry includes Washington County registrants and is searchable by name or address at no cost.

The screenshot below shows the GBI open records request portal, which handles formal arrest record requests for Washington County and all other Georgia counties.

Use the GBI portal for state-level record requests or contact Washington County Sheriff directly for locally held booking records.

Cities in Washington County

Washington County includes Sandersville, Tennille, and Davisboro among its communities. None of these cities reach the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. For Washington County busted mugshots or arrest record searches tied to any community in the county, use the sheriff's office and the Georgia statewide tools listed on this page.

Nearby Counties

Washington County borders eight other central Georgia counties. Each has its own sheriff's office, arrest records, and inmate booking resources.