Search Murray County Booking Reports
Murray County booking reports are kept by the Murray County Sheriff's Office in Chatsworth, Georgia. These records document every person booked into the county jail, including their name, charges, and the date they were taken into custody. Murray County does not maintain a public online booking search at this time. If you need to look up a current inmate or a recent booking, you will need to reach the sheriff's office directly. This page explains the process and lists the statewide tools that help when local options are limited.
Murray County Quick Facts
How to Request Murray County Booking Records
The Murray County Sheriff's Office in Chatsworth handles all jail operations for the county. State law under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7 requires the sheriff to keep a booking register for all persons taken into county custody. Every entry must include the person's full name, age, sex, race, the charges at the time of booking, and the dates of intake and release. This register is a public record.
Because Murray County does not publish an online booking roster, you have two practical options. Call the sheriff's office during business hours to ask about a recent arrest. For records that go back further, file a written Open Records request under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq. The law gives the sheriff three business days to respond. The first 15 minutes of search time is free. Any time beyond that may be charged at the office's set rate. Your request should name the person, give an approximate date range, and describe the record type clearly.
Note: Murray County is in northwest Georgia and borders several other counties in that region. Arrests made by any law enforcement agency operating in Murray County, including the Chatsworth Police Department and Georgia State Patrol, are processed through the Murray County Jail and appear in the same booking register.
Georgia Department of Corrections offender information search page for Georgia state prison inmates
The GDC offender search covers people held in state prisons and is separate from the Murray County jail booking system in Chatsworth.
What Is in a Murray County Booking Report
A booking report records the fact of an arrest. It does not record what happens in court. The charges shown in the booking register are what the arresting officer noted at the time of intake. Those charges can be changed, dropped, or replaced as the case moves forward. If you need to know the final outcome of a case tied to a Murray County booking, contact the Murray County Superior Court Clerk in Chatsworth. Case records there include hearing dates, dispositions, and any court orders.
Murray County booking records may include a booking photo, often called a mugshot. Georgia law under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 prevents the sheriff from distributing those photos to commercial websites that charge for removal. This is a statewide rule that Murray County follows. If you have a legitimate need for a photo, you can include that in an Open Records request. The sheriff will review it and respond within the legal time frame.
VINE for Murray County Inmate Alerts
VINE is a free inmate notification service. It covers all 159 Georgia county jails, including Murray. If you want to know when someone in the Murray County Jail is released, transferred, or has a status change, sign up at VINELink.com. You choose how you receive alerts: phone call, text message, or email. VINE checks jail records around the clock and sends alerts as soon as a change occurs.
This service is useful for family members, attorneys, and anyone else who needs to stay updated on a person's custody status. You do not need to call the jail repeatedly. VINE handles the tracking once you register. There is no fee.
State-Level Tools for Murray County Searches
Georgia's statewide systems provide access when local county options are not available online. The Georgia Department of Corrections maintains a separate database for people in state prisons. If someone from Murray County was convicted and transferred to a GDC facility, they will no longer appear in the county jail system. Check the GDC offender search or use the direct GDC query form to search by name or offender ID. For written records, contact GDC directly at Inmate Records and Information, PO Box 1529, Forsyth, GA 31029.
The GBI runs the Georgia Crime Information Center, which is the statewide criminal history database. GCIC holds arrest and case records from all Georgia counties. It is a more complete source for criminal history than the county booking log alone. You need an appointment to access GCIC records. Walk-ins are not allowed. Call 404-244-2639 or visit the GCIC program page. The GBI FAQ covers what to bring and how the process works.
Statewide jail data shows that Georgia county jails held about 25,487 inmates as of January 2026, per the Georgia Sheriffs' Association. About 67.9% of those inmates were awaiting trial. Murray County's jail population is part of that statewide total.
Georgia Record Restriction Rules
Georgia law gives people certain rights to limit access to their arrest records. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, a person can petition to have charges restricted from public GCIC reports if those charges were dismissed, not prosecuted, or resulted in a not-guilty verdict. Once a record is restricted, it no longer appears in standard background checks run through the GCIC system. However, the county jail booking entry for that arrest remains, because the jail record and the GCIC record are separate.
Under the First Offender Act, O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60, some first-time offenders can complete their sentence without a formal conviction entering their GCIC record. When all terms are done, the conviction is sealed. That sealing applies to the GCIC history and not to the Murray County booking register. Open records exemptions under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 may apply to specific records depending on the circumstances of the case.
Nearby Counties
Murray County is in northwest Georgia and shares borders with several counties, each maintaining its own jail and booking records.