Cartersville Booking Reports and Arrest Records
Cartersville booking reports are maintained by the Bartow County Sheriff's Office, which operates the county jail and detention center serving all of Bartow County. Cartersville is the county seat of Bartow County, so the sheriff's office and the main courthouse are both located in the city. When Cartersville Police make an arrest, the person is booked into the Bartow County Jail, and a public record is created. You can contact the Bartow County Sheriff directly to search current booking data or request older records under Georgia's Open Records Act.
Cartersville Quick Facts
Bartow County Sheriff and Booking Records
The Bartow County Sheriff's Office is the primary source for Cartersville booking reports. The sheriff can be reached at 770-382-5050. All arrests made in Cartersville and throughout Bartow County flow into the sheriff's booking system. The office's website at bartowcountyga.gov/sheriff provides contact information and may list available online tools for checking current inmate status.
Under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7, the Bartow County Sheriff is required by law to maintain jail records for every person in custody. This includes all bookings from Cartersville Police arrests. The sheriff cannot opt out of keeping these records, and they are subject to public disclosure for routine adult bookings under Georgia's Open Records Act.
Bartow County Sheriff's Office website showing jail and booking information for Cartersville and Bartow County
The Bartow County Sheriff's Office website is the direct source for current jail and booking information covering Cartersville and all of Bartow County.
Cartersville Police Department
Cartersville Police handle law enforcement within city limits and can be reached at 770-387-5151. The city does not operate its own jail. After an arrest in Cartersville, the person is taken to the Bartow County Jail for booking and detention. All formal booking records are then held by the Bartow County Sheriff, not the city police department.
The Cartersville Police Department maintains its own incident reports and arrest documents. These are separate from the booking records held by the sheriff. If you need an incident report from a Cartersville arrest, contact the police at 770-387-5151. For the formal booking record that shows jail intake data, charges, and bond information, that comes from the Bartow County Sheriff at 770-382-5050. It is common to need records from both agencies depending on what the request is for.
City of Cartersville official website with police department and public services information
The City of Cartersville official website provides contact information for the police department, while formal booking records for Cartersville arrests are maintained by the Bartow County Sheriff's Office.
What Cartersville Booking Records Contain
A booking record created after a Cartersville arrest typically includes the person's full name, date of birth, physical description, booking date and time, arresting agency, charges filed, and bond status. Some records also include a case number linked to the court filing at the Bartow County Courthouse.
A booking record is not the same as a conviction. It shows that a person was arrested and processed into the jail. Charges can later be dropped, reduced, or result in an acquittal. The booking record stays on file regardless of how the case ends in court. For case outcomes and court dispositions from Cartersville arrests, those records are at the Bartow County Clerk of Courts, which is a separate office from the sheriff.
Note: A booking record reflects an arrest, not a finding of guilt. Court records showing case outcomes are held by the Bartow County Clerk of Superior Court.
Open Records Requests in Cartersville
Cartersville booking data is public under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq. For records not available through direct contact with the sheriff's office, you can submit a written Open Records request. No standard form is required under Georgia law. A brief written description of the record you need, the person's name, and the approximate date of the arrest is enough to start the process.
O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 lists the exemptions that allow agencies to withhold certain records. Active investigation files and juvenile records are the most common exemptions that apply to booking-related requests. For routine adult booking data from Cartersville, the default position is public access. If a record is withheld, the Bartow County Sheriff must provide the reason and cite the applicable exemption in writing.
To submit a request, contact the Bartow County Sheriff at 770-382-5050 or visit the office in person. The agency has three business days to acknowledge receipt of the request under Georgia law. Fees for copies may apply depending on the format and number of pages you request. Calling ahead to ask about current copy costs saves time when you go to pick up records in Cartersville.
Booking Photos from Cartersville
Georgia law at O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 prevents commercial websites from posting booking photos and charging fees for removal. This targets third-party mugshot sites, not government agencies. The Bartow County Sheriff can still release a booking photo in response to a valid Open Records request for a Cartersville arrest.
To get a booking photo, submit a written request to the Bartow County Sheriff at 770-382-5050. Include the person's name, the booking date, and any case number you have. The office will confirm whether the photo is available and advise on any applicable copying fee. Photos from recent bookings may not be immediately available if processing is still underway.
VINE Alerts and Custody Tracking
VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) lets you track custody changes at the Bartow County Jail. If someone booked after a Cartersville arrest is released, transferred, or has a status change, VINE sends an alert by phone, email, or text. Sign up at VINELink.com or call 1-877-846-3592. The service runs around the clock and is free to use.
VINE tracks status changes, not charge details. Use the Bartow County Sheriff's booking database for charge and booking data, and use VINE for custody alerts. They are different tools that work best when used together.
Third-party services like JailATM and Securus Technologies handle inmate commissary and phone services at many Georgia county jails, including Bartow County. These platforms may show current custody status for Cartersville inmates but are not official booking record sources. For authoritative data, go directly to the Bartow County Sheriff.
Statewide Records Beyond Bartow County
The Bartow County booking database covers only the people currently in Bartow County custody. For a more complete picture of a person's arrest history across Georgia, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains statewide criminal records through the Georgia Crime Information Center. A GCIC record can show arrests from any county in the state, not just Bartow.
For people who were arrested in Cartersville, convicted, and then transferred to state prison, the county jail roster will no longer list them. Use the Georgia Department of Corrections offender search to locate people in state custody. The GDC search and the county jail roster cover different populations and do not overlap.
Georgia Sheriffs' Association providing standards and information on county jail operations across Georgia
The Georgia Sheriffs' Association sets standards for county jail operations statewide, which covers the Bartow County Sheriff's booking practices for Cartersville arrests.
Record Restriction and First Offender Act
Some Cartersville residents who were arrested may qualify to have their booking records restricted from public view. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 allows eligible people to seal certain arrest and criminal history records from civilian background checks. Restriction does not delete the record but limits who can access it.
The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 is a separate option for qualifying first-time offenders in Cartersville. If a person completes their sentence under First Offender status, the conviction is treated as if it did not happen for most purposes. Cartersville residents who want to learn more about either option should consult a local criminal defense attorney or contact a legal aid organization for help with eligibility and next steps.
Nearby Cities with Booking Record Pages
Other qualifying cities near Cartersville in northwest Georgia:
Bartow County Booking Reports
Cartersville arrests are booked and held by the Bartow County Sheriff's Office. The Bartow County page covers the full jail system, search tools, and how to submit Open Records requests for arrest data.