Dooly County Jail Records and Booking Reports
Dooly County booking reports are kept by the Dooly County Sheriff's Office in Vienna and are open to the public under Georgia law. Every arrest processed at the Dooly County Jail results in a booking record that anyone can request or view. This page explains how to search for current inmates, submit records requests, and use statewide Georgia tools when you need more than local records can provide.
Dooly County Quick Facts
Booking Records in Dooly County
Dooly County is a small, rural county in south-central Georgia, with Vienna as its county seat. Arrests in Dooly County are processed at the county detention facility. When someone is booked, the sheriff's office creates a record documenting the person's name, date of birth, charges, arresting agency, and the date and time of the booking. This jail docket is a public document under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7, which requires every Georgia sheriff to maintain it and allow public access.
The physical docket at the Dooly County Sheriff's Office in Vienna is available for public inspection during normal business hours. No explanation is needed to view it. The record is open to anyone who asks. If you need paper copies, the county may charge a small reproduction fee.
Booking records are not convictions. A person in the jail log was arrested and processed, but that doesn't mean they were found guilty. Charges can be dropped, cases can be dismissed, and people can be acquitted at trial. Court records, not the booking log, show the final legal outcome of any criminal case.
How to Search Dooly County Jail Records
Dooly County does not appear to offer a public online inmate search. To check on someone's current custody status, call the Dooly County Sheriff's Office in Vienna directly. Give the person's full name and date of birth. Staff can pull up the current jail log and tell you whether the person is in custody and what charges they face.
For a written record, submit an Open Records Act request to the Dooly County Sheriff's Office. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq., the office must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of staff time is free, with fees possible for larger or more complex requests. Being specific in your request, including the name and approximate arrest date, speeds up the process significantly.
Vienna, the county seat, is a small town. The Dooly County Sheriff serves the entire county and is the primary law enforcement and booking authority for most arrests in the area. If you're unsure which agency made an arrest, the sheriff's office is the best first call, as most county-level arrests end up in their records regardless of which agency initiated them.
Note: Dooly County is located on the I-75 corridor, which means Georgia State Patrol may also make arrests that are processed through the county facility. GSP records may supplement what the sheriff holds.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Records
For criminal history searches beyond Dooly County, the GBI's Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) maintains statewide records for all 159 Georgia counties. GCIC is the right resource when you need a complete arrest history or records from multiple counties. Contact GCIC at 404-244-2639 or visit 3121 Panthersville Road, Decatur, GA 30034.
Search the Georgia Department of Corrections offender database for state prison inmates from Dooly County cases.
The GDC offender search covers people serving state sentences, which is separate from the Dooly County Jail records in Vienna.
After a conviction in Dooly County, a person sentenced to state prison transfers to GDC custody. The county jail tracks local detainees; the GDC tracks state prisoners. If you can't find someone in the county jail log, the GDC database is the next step if you believe they were convicted. For a written GDC record, send your request to Inmate Records and Information, PO Box 1529, Forsyth, GA 31029.
VINE and Open Records Access
The VINE victim notification service covers Dooly County. You can register on the VINE website to receive automatic alerts when an inmate's status changes at the county jail. VINE notifies you of releases, transfers, and other custody events. The service is free and is available to anyone who registers. Alerts can be sent by phone, email, or text depending on your preference.
Under the Georgia Open Records Act, you have the right to access most booking records and jail logs from the Dooly County Sheriff. Exemptions under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 cover a limited set of circumstances, and any denial must be explained in writing. Booking photos are public records with some limits on commercial use under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19.
Court records in Dooly County are handled by the Superior Court clerk in Vienna. You can search for case outcomes through Georgia Courts online. Booking records and court records are complementary sources that together tell the full story of any arrest and its legal outcome. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association publishes statewide jail statistics showing that about two-thirds of Georgia county jail inmates are awaiting trial, not serving sentences — an important context for reading any booking record.
Nearby Counties
Dooly County is in south-central Georgia. These surrounding counties also have booking report pages: