Catoosa County Jail Roster and Booking Reports
Catoosa County booking reports are public records created by the Sheriff's Office in Ringgold whenever someone is processed into the county jail. These records include the person's name, the charges against them, and the date they were booked. Catoosa County is in the far northwest corner of Georgia, bordering Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the local jail sees a mix of regional and local booking activity. Anyone can search these records through the sheriff's office in Ringgold.
Catoosa County Quick Facts
Searching Catoosa County Jail Booking Records
The Catoosa County Sheriff's Office in Ringgold maintains the county jail and all booking records. Walk-in access is available during business hours. You can view the current jail roster or look up past entries by name or date. There is no requirement to explain your reason, and no appointment is needed for a basic records inspection at the office.
For copies or for requests from outside the area, a written Open Records submission is the right approach. Under Georgia's Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.), agencies must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of search time is free. Fees may apply after that for staff labor. Mail and email are both valid ways to submit a request. If access is denied, the denial must be in writing with the specific legal exemption cited.
Catoosa County sits directly south of Chattanooga, Tennessee. People who live in Tennessee and are arrested in Catoosa County are processed through the local Georgia jail just like any other person arrested in the county. Their records go into the same Catoosa County booking system.
Contents of a Catoosa County Booking Report
Each booking entry at the Catoosa County Jail must include the fields required by O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7. Those fields are the arrested person's full name, age, sex, race, the charges filed, and the booking and release dates. This is the mandatory minimum for every county jail booking in Georgia. Catoosa County follows this standard for each person taken into custody, regardless of the severity of the charge.
Booking records in Catoosa County may also include information about the arresting agency, bond status, holds from other jurisdictions, and whether the person was transferred. Booking photos may be in the file. Georgia law under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 prevents law enforcement from sharing those photos with commercial mugshot sites. Catoosa County follows this restriction, as required by state law. Photos can still be obtained through a direct request to the sheriff's office.
Note: People arrested in Catoosa County may also have records in Tennessee systems if they have a cross-state history. The Georgia booking data only covers the Catoosa County side of any arrest.
State Prison Records Through the GDC
Catoosa County's local jail records cover only people in county custody. People convicted in Catoosa County and sent to a Georgia state prison are tracked by the Georgia Department of Corrections in a separate database. The two systems are independent and do not share data automatically.
Search for Georgia state inmates at the GDC offender search. The GDC query form allows name and ID searches. For certified written records, write to Inmate Records and Information, PO Box 1529, Forsyth, GA 31029. The Catoosa County Sheriff does not have access to GDC records and cannot help with state prison inquiries.
Georgia Department of Corrections offender search for state prison records
State prison inmates are tracked by the GDC. Catoosa County local jail records are at the sheriff's office in Ringgold.
GBI GCIC for Statewide Criminal Records
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation's GCIC database is a statewide criminal history system covering all 159 Georgia counties. GCIC includes arrest data, charges, court outcomes, and sentencing records from agencies across Georgia. Unlike a county jail search, GCIC gives a multi-county view of someone's record. This is useful if the person you are researching has a history in multiple Georgia jurisdictions.
GCIC requests require a scheduled appointment. The GBI does not allow walk-ins. Call 404-244-2639 to schedule. The office is at 3121 Panthersville Road, Decatur, GA 30034. Before your visit, read the GBI FAQ to know what documents to bring. The GCIC program page has background on the database and its scope.
VINE Alerts and Open Records Rights in Catoosa County
VINE provides free inmate notification for the Catoosa County Jail. Register at VINELink.com and select your preferred alert method. VINE monitors jail records around the clock and sends notifications by phone, text, or email when an inmate's status changes. No manual checking is needed after you register. The service covers all Georgia counties including Catoosa at no cost.
Georgia's Open Records Act applies fully to Catoosa County. The law gives any person the right to inspect booking records at the sheriff's office in Ringgold. You do not have to be a county resident or explain your reason. Walk-in access is the simplest approach. Written requests are also valid, with the standard three-business-day response window. Denials must be in writing with specific legal justification.
For court records on cases after a Catoosa County arrest, the Georgia Courts website provides Superior Court contact details and case lookup resources. People arrested in Catoosa County but with ties to Tennessee may also have parallel records in Tennessee court systems. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association publishes monthly statewide jail statistics. As of January 2026, about 67.9% of Georgia county jail inmates were pretrial detainees.
Nearby Counties
These Georgia counties border Catoosa County in northwest Georgia. Each has its own jail and booking records system.