White County Busted Mugshots and Arrest Records

White County is a northeast Georgia mountain county with its seat in Cleveland, and the White County Sheriff's Office is the agency responsible for all local bookings, arrest records, and busted mugshots in the county. If you want to search White County arrest records, check on an inmate in the county jail, or find booking data tied to a case in the Cleveland area, the sheriff's office is the primary contact and the Georgia statewide tools described on this page give you additional ways to access criminal history connected to White County cases.

White County Sheriff Inmate Records and Booking Data

The White County Sheriff's Office in Cleveland handles all local law enforcement and detention for the county. White County has grown steadily in recent decades and now has close to 30,000 residents. The jail processes bookings for local deputies, state patrol, and other agencies operating in the county. All booking records are maintained at the sheriff's office and are public under Georgia law. Anyone can inspect these records or request copies during normal business hours.

White County busted mugshots are taken at the time of each booking. Under Georgia's 2014 law, the sheriff cannot post these photos publicly online. There is no public mugshot gallery for White County. To get a booking photo or arrest record, submit a written open records request to the White County Sheriff's Office. Include the subject's name and arrest date. A booking number is helpful if you have it. The office must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of staff time and first 20 pages of copies are free under state law. Pages beyond that cost $0.10 each.

White County is served by the Mountain Judicial Circuit, which covers White, Habersham, Rabun, Stephens, and Towns counties. The circuit court clerk handles superior court filings for White County, including felony indictments, arraignments, pleas, and judgments. These court records are separate from the sheriff's booking files. Cleveland also has its own police department. City police arrests are booked into the county jail, so booking records remain with the sheriff. For city police arrest reports, contact the Cleveland Police Department directly.

The screenshot below shows the Georgia Bureau of Investigation homepage, the main state agency for criminal history records relevant to White County searches.

The GBI operates GCIC, the sex offender registry, and the open records system that all cover White County arrest and criminal history data.

Georgia Law on White County Booking Photos

Georgia's O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19, passed in 2014, prohibits law enforcement agencies from posting booking photos on public websites. White County Sheriff cannot maintain an online mugshot gallery. The law was enacted after concerns arose about agencies and third parties publishing arrest photos in ways that harmed individuals who were arrested but never convicted. Booking photos in White County still exist and are still public records, but accessing them requires a formal open records request.

O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5 is the companion law covering private mugshot websites. These sites collect arrest photos from various sources and republish them online, sometimes charging fees for removal. Under this Georgia law, a mugshot company must remove a photo at no charge within 30 days of a certified mail request when the arrest is eligible for record restriction. The Georgia Consumer Protection Division provides the steps for making this request and lists which types of businesses must comply. White County residents who find their booking photo on these sites should use this process.

The Georgia Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, applies to all White County government agencies. Agencies must respond to records requests within three business days. The first 15 minutes of staff search time and first 20 pages of documents are free. Pages beyond that cost $0.10 each. These rules apply to any arrest record or booking data you request from the White County Sheriff's Office.

Statewide Search Tools for White County Arrest Records

The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC), part of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, holds statewide criminal history data including arrests from White County. A GCIC history check gives you a full view of someone's Georgia arrest and conviction record. The GBI processes these requests for the public. This is the most comprehensive statewide tool for searching criminal history tied to White County cases.

The Georgia Felon Search at georgia.gov costs $15 and gives instant access to felony conviction records statewide. For anyone who went to state prison after a White County conviction, the free Georgia Department of Corrections offender search shows inmate records and photos. The Georgia Sex Offender Registry covers White County registrants and is searchable by name or address at no cost. The GBI's open records portal handles formal requests for state-held records tied to White County criminal cases.

The screenshot below shows the Georgia Sex Offender Registry search interface, which includes White County registered offenders with photos and addresses.

The registry is searchable by name or address, is updated regularly by the GBI, and covers all White County registrants in the state system.

Cities in White County

White County includes Cleveland and several smaller communities. None of these cities meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. For White County busted mugshots and arrest records tied to any city or unincorporated area in the county, use the sheriff's office and the Georgia statewide tools listed above.

Nearby Counties

White County borders seven other northeast Georgia counties. Each has its own arrest records and inmate booking resources through the local sheriff's office.