Wilkes County Busted Mugshots and Arrest Record Lookup

Wilkes County is in northeast Georgia with its county seat in Washington, and the Wilkes County Sheriff's Office handles all local arrests, bookings, and busted mugshots for the county. If you want to search Wilkes County arrest records, find someone currently held in the county jail, or access booking data tied to a case in the Washington, Georgia area, the sheriff's office is the primary source and the statewide Georgia tools on this page provide supplemental options for criminal history searches connected to Wilkes County cases.

Wilkes County Sheriff Arrest Records and Booking Information

The Wilkes County Sheriff's Office in Washington, Georgia serves as the county's primary law enforcement and detention agency. Wilkes County has a population of just under 10,000, making it one of the smaller counties in northeast Georgia. The jail handles a modest number of bookings. Even so, the sheriff maintains complete arrest logs and booking records as required by state law, and all of these records are public and available to anyone who requests them.

Wilkes County busted mugshots are taken at booking. Georgia's 2014 statute prohibits the sheriff from posting these photos to a public website. There is no online mugshot gallery for Wilkes County. To obtain a booking photo or arrest record, submit a written open records request to the sheriff's office in Washington. Include the subject's full name and arrest date. A booking number speeds up the search if available. Under the Georgia Open Records Act, the office must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of staff time and first 20 pages of copies are free. Pages beyond that cost $0.10 each.

Wilkes County falls within the Northern Judicial Circuit for superior court cases. The circuit court clerk maintains felony case records for Wilkes County, including indictments, pleas, judgments, and sentencing records. These are separate from the sheriff's booking files. Washington also has its own city police department. City arrests go through the county booking process, so all booking records stay with the sheriff. For city police arrest reports, contact the Washington Police Department. For court outcomes, contact the superior court clerk.

The screenshot below shows the Georgia felon search service, which covers Wilkes County felony conviction records as part of its statewide database.

The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 and returns instant results for anyone with a felony conviction from Wilkes County or any other Georgia county.

Georgia Law on Wilkes County Booking Photos and Mugshot Removal

Georgia passed O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 in 2014, which prohibits Georgia law enforcement from publishing booking photos online. Wilkes County Sheriff is bound by this law. Booking photos are created at each arrest, and they are public records, but the law removes the option for the agency to publish them broadly online. Access requires a formal written records request submitted directly to the sheriff's office.

O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5 covers private mugshot websites. These are companies that collect and publish booking photos independently of law enforcement. Georgia law requires these sites to remove photos at no cost within 30 days of a certified mail request when the arrest qualifies for record restriction. The Georgia Consumer Protection Division explains the process for making a removal request and which companies fall under this law. Wilkes County residents whose arrest photos appear on commercial mugshot sites should follow the Consumer Protection guidance to request removal.

The Georgia Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, is the legal basis for public access to Wilkes County government records. Under this law, agencies must respond within three business days. Inspection of records is free, and the first 20 pages of copies cost nothing. Pages beyond 20 run $0.10 each. This applies to any records request made to the Wilkes County Sheriff's Office.

Statewide Tools for Wilkes County Criminal Record Searches

The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC), run by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, maintains statewide criminal history data including records from Wilkes County. GCIC checks give you arrest and conviction data from any Georgia county. The GBI processes public requests for this information. It is the most comprehensive option when you want a full Georgia criminal history rather than only Wilkes County records.

The Georgia Felon Search at georgia.gov costs $15 and returns instant felony conviction data statewide. For anyone who went to state prison from Wilkes County, the free Georgia Department of Corrections offender search shows inmate records with photos. The Georgia Sex Offender Registry includes Wilkes County registrants and is free to search by name or address. The GBI's open records portal handles formal requests for state-held records tied to Wilkes County criminal cases.

The screenshot below shows the GDC offender query database, which covers anyone from Wilkes County who was sentenced to a Georgia state prison after conviction.

The GDC search is free and shows photos for current and former state prison inmates from Wilkes County and all other Georgia counties.

Cities in Wilkes County

Wilkes County includes Washington and a small number of other communities. None of these cities meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. For Wilkes County busted mugshots and arrest records tied to Washington or any other location in the county, contact the sheriff's office or use the Georgia statewide tools described above.

Nearby Counties

Wilkes County borders eight other Georgia counties in the northeastern and central parts of the state. Each maintains its own arrest records and inmate booking resources.