Dalton Booking Reports
Dalton booking reports are maintained by the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office. Dalton is the county seat of Whitfield County in northwest Georgia, with a population close to 35,000. Every arrest made by Dalton Police or Whitfield County deputies results in a booking record at the county detention facility. This page covers how to access those records, what they contain, and the Georgia laws that govern public access to Dalton booking data.
Dalton Quick Facts
Whitfield County Sheriff and Dalton Arrests
The Whitfield County Sheriff's Office handles booking for all arrests in Dalton and the surrounding county area. The Sheriff's Office can be reached at 706-278-1233. Georgia law under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7 requires sheriffs to maintain jail records, which means the Whitfield County Sheriff is legally obligated to keep booking reports for every person processed through their detention facility. This includes everyone arrested by Dalton Police, since city officers transport arrestees to the county jail for booking.
The Whitfield County Sheriff's website was unavailable at the time this page was written. Contact the Sheriff's Office directly at 706-278-1233 for help finding a specific booking record. Staff can confirm whether someone is in custody and explain the process for requesting records. The in-person records window at the jail is another option for immediate inquiries about Dalton arrest data.
Statewide context from the Georgia Sheriffs' Association shows that as of January 2026, about 67.9% of county jail inmates across Georgia were pre-trial detainees, meaning they had not yet been convicted. Whitfield County follows a similar pattern. Many Dalton booking records represent people who are awaiting trial, not serving sentences.
Dalton Police Department
Dalton Police can be reached at 706-278-9085 and handles day-to-day law enforcement inside the city. Officers patrol Dalton, respond to calls for service, and make arrests under state and local law. Like most city police departments in Georgia, Dalton Police do not operate their own lockup. After an arrest, the person is taken to the Whitfield County detention facility for booking.
The City of Dalton website at cityofdalton-ga.gov lists city services and department contacts. For arrest records, the right office is the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office. Dalton Police can help with questions about specific incidents they handled, but booking records live at the county level.
Accessing Dalton Booking Reports Under Georgia Law
Georgia's Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq., makes booking reports available to any person who requests them. You do not need to explain why you want the record. The Whitfield County Sheriff's Office must respond to a written request within three business days. If they deny the request, they are required to cite a specific legal exemption.
Exemptions to public access are listed in O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72. Active criminal investigations may be partially withheld. Records that could endanger someone's safety may be redacted. But core booking data, including name, date, and charges, is public in almost all cases. An arrest is a public act, and the record that documents it is open to anyone who asks.
To request a Dalton booking report, put your request in writing and send it to the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office. Include the name you are searching for, the approximate date of arrest if known, and your contact information. Ask about any copying fees when you submit the request. Fees for basic records are usually small.
Note: Georgia law allows electronic submission of open records requests. An email request carries the same legal weight as a written letter.
What Dalton Booking Records Show
A Dalton booking report is created when a person enters the Whitfield County jail after an arrest. It captures the facts of intake and creates a formal record of the arrest event. This document is not the same as a court record. The Whitfield County Superior Court Clerk maintains court files, which track what happens after booking, including hearings, pleas, and dispositions.
The standard contents of a Dalton booking report include the person's full legal name, date of birth, physical description, charges at the time of arrest, the arresting agency, booking date and time, bond amount or hold status, and booking photograph. Some records also include a jail ID number. This information reflects the state of the arrest at intake. Charges may change as the case moves through the court system.
Booking Photos and Georgia's Mugshot Law
Under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19, Georgia law enforcement agencies cannot charge a fee for releasing a booking photograph unless the requester intends to use it commercially. This law targets websites that post mugshots and demand payment for removal. If you need a Dalton booking photo for a non-commercial purpose, the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office should provide it at no charge.
Private websites that post Dalton booking photos and charge for removal may be violating this statute. If that situation comes up, consult a Georgia attorney who knows this area of law. The statute gives the person pictured certain rights about how their booking photo can be used and monetized.
Victim Notification and Inmate Tracking
VINE is a free service that notifies you when an inmate's custody status changes. Register at vinelink.com to receive alerts about people held in the Whitfield County jail. You can opt for phone, text, or email notifications. VINE sends alerts for releases, transfers, and other status changes. This is useful for victims, family members, or anyone who needs to know when a Dalton area inmate leaves custody.
For inmates who receive state prison sentences and are transferred out of Whitfield County, track them through the Georgia Department of Corrections offender database at services.gdc.ga.gov. JailATM at jailatm.com handles inmate money and mail services for some Georgia jails. Check the site to confirm whether the Whitfield County jail is supported. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Georgia Crime Information Center maintains statewide criminal history and is the repository for GCIC records used by law enforcement.
Restricting a Dalton Arrest Record
Georgia lets some people restrict public access to their arrest records. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 covers the record restriction process for arrests that did not lead to convictions, including cases that were dismissed or where charges were dropped. A restricted record is hidden from most public searches. The process runs through the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The First Offender Act, O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60, offers another route for eligible individuals. A first-time offender who finishes all sentencing terms may have the record treated as a non-conviction under Georgia law. The record remains in restricted form but does not appear in standard public searches. If a search for Dalton booking reports comes up empty, the record may have been restricted. Contact the GBI's Georgia Crime Information Center for information on formal restriction procedures.
Whitfield County Booking Reports
Dalton is the county seat of Whitfield County, and the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office manages all local booking records. For full county-level information on the jail, records requests, and related resources, visit the Whitfield County page.