Seminole County Arrest Records and Booking Reports

Seminole County booking reports are held by the Sheriff's Office in Donalsonville and are available to the public under Georgia's Open Records Act. These records list everyone booked into the Seminole County Jail, the charges they face, and the dates of their arrest and processing. The sheriff's office is the primary source for this data and can help you find out if someone is currently in custody.

Accessing Seminole County Booking Records

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office in Donalsonville keeps the local jail docket, which is the main record of all people booked into custody in the county. Every booking entry includes the person's name, date of birth, the charges, and the time of booking. Staff log this information each time someone is processed into the jail. The docket is available for public inspection during normal office hours. You can visit in person and ask to see it without needing an appointment.

For records sent to you rather than viewed in person, submit a written Open Records request. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq., the agency must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of staff search time is free. After that, a reasonable fee may apply. You can send requests by mail or email to the Open Records Officer at the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.

A booking record reflects an arrest. It is not a record of guilt or conviction.

What Seminole County Jail Records Include

Georgia law sets clear standards for what jail records must contain. Under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7, the Seminole County Sheriff is required to record each inmate's name, age, sex, race, charges filed, and the dates of booking and release. The law applies to every person held in the jail, no matter how briefly. The physical docket is the core public record for local arrests.

The record may also note bond status, release or transfer information, and the agency that made the arrest. Booking photos may be included. Georgia law limits how photos are handled. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19, law enforcement agencies cannot send booking images to commercial mugshot websites that charge to remove them. That rule applies in Seminole County as it does statewide.

State Prison Records vs. Seminole County Jail

The Seminole County Jail holds people who are in local custody, either awaiting trial or serving a short sentence. If someone has been convicted and sent to a Georgia state prison, they will not appear in the county's local records. The Georgia Department of Corrections maintains a separate database for state prisoners.

The GDC offender search can be searched by name or GDC number. The GDC query form offers additional search filters. For certified copies of state prison records, write to Inmate Records and Information, PO Box 1529, Forsyth, GA 31029. This is entirely separate from the Seminole County Sheriff's records in Donalsonville.

Georgia's county jails held 25,487 inmates in January 2026, with 67.9% awaiting trial according to the Georgia Sheriffs' Association. View statewide data at georgiasheriffs.org.

The GDC portal covers state prison inmates. For Seminole County Jail records, contact the sheriff's office in Donalsonville.

GBI Criminal History Records for Seminole County

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains the Georgia Crime Information Center. GCIC is a statewide database that holds criminal history records from all Georgia counties. If you need a broader picture of someone's arrest and court history, GCIC provides more than a single county jail docket can. It covers arrests, convictions, and dispositions from across the state.

Access the GBI GCIC office at 3121 Panthersville Road, Decatur, GA 30034. Call 404-244-2639 to learn about scheduling. Visits are by appointment only. The GBI FAQ page explains what ID and forms you need to bring. This is a different process from a basic booking records request to the Seminole County Sheriff.

Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, some records in GCIC can be restricted if a charge was dismissed or the person was found not guilty. Not all arrests remain publicly visible in the database.

VINE and Court Records in Seminole County

VINE — Victim Information and Notification Everyday — is a free tool that sends alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. If someone is released from the Seminole County Jail or transferred to another facility, registered users receive an automatic notification. This lets victims and concerned parties stay informed without calling the jail.

Sign up at VINELink.com for free. You can also register over the phone. The service covers all Georgia county jails, including Seminole County. Once you sign up, the system sends updates on its own.

If you need to follow a case through the courts, the Georgia Courts website lists court schedules and case information. That can help you track what happened after a Seminole County booking, from arraignment through trial or plea.

The GCIC database holds statewide arrest and criminal history records that go beyond what Seminole County's local jail docket contains.

Open Records Act Rights in Seminole County

Georgia's Open Records Act — O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 — gives anyone the right to inspect records held by public agencies. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office is a public agency and must comply with this law. Jail dockets and booking reports are public records. You do not need a special reason or a lawyer to request them.

Exceptions exist under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72. Agencies can refuse to share records that would compromise an active criminal investigation or put a person in danger. These cases are relatively rare. Most booking data is fully accessible. If a request is denied, the agency must tell you why in writing and cite the specific legal exemption.

Nearby Counties

Booking records for the surrounding area are kept by each county's sheriff. These links will help you search records in counties near Seminole.