Taylor County Jail Records and Booking Reports

Taylor County booking reports are kept by the Sheriff's Office in Butler and are public records under Georgia's Open Records Act. These records show everyone who has been booked into the Taylor County Jail, the charges on file, and the date of each arrest. If you want to check on a recent arrest or confirm someone's custody status in Taylor County, the sheriff's office in Butler is where you get that information.

How to Get Taylor County Booking Records

The Taylor County Sheriff's Office in Butler is the main source for local jail booking records. Each time someone is brought into custody, staff enter the name, date of birth, charges, and booking time. This running log is the public jail docket. Anyone can go to the sheriff's office during normal hours and ask to see it. You do not need to call ahead or schedule an appointment for a routine inspection of the docket.

For records sent to you by mail or email, submit a written Open Records request to the sheriff's office. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq., the agency must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of search time is provided at no cost. A reasonable fee may apply after that for staff time and copying costs. Send requests to the Open Records Officer at the Taylor County Sheriff's Office in Butler.

Booking records show an arrest occurred. They do not indicate a conviction.

What Taylor County Jail Records Include

Georgia law defines what each county jail must record for every person it holds. Under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7, the Taylor County Sheriff is required to log each inmate's name, age, sex, race, the charges filed, and the dates of booking and release. This standard applies regardless of the length of detention. The log is a continuous public record of all people processed through the Taylor County Jail.

Bond amounts, release or transfer status, and the arresting agency often appear in the record too. Booking photos may be part of some entries. Georgia law governs how these photos are handled. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19, law enforcement agencies cannot provide booking photos to commercial sites that charge fees for removal. The Taylor County Sheriff's Office is bound by this state law.

Georgia Department of Corrections vs. Taylor County Jail

If someone has been convicted and sent to a Georgia state prison, they will not appear in Taylor County's local booking records. The Georgia Department of Corrections maintains a separate system for state prison inmates. The two systems are independent. Local jail records cover people in county custody, while GDC covers those serving state sentences.

Search GDC records using the GDC offender search by name or GDC number. The GDC query form provides more filtering options. For certified copies, write to Inmate Records and Information, PO Box 1529, Forsyth, GA 31029. None of this involves the Taylor County Sheriff's Office.

As of January 2026, Georgia county jails held 25,487 inmates, with 67.9% awaiting trial according to the Georgia Sheriffs' Association. Monthly data is published at georgiasheriffs.org.

The GDC portal handles state prison records. For Taylor County Jail bookings, contact the sheriff's office in Butler.

GBI GCIC Criminal History in Taylor County

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains the Georgia Crime Information Center. GCIC is a comprehensive statewide database of criminal history records drawn from all Georgia counties and agencies. A GCIC search goes far beyond a single county's jail docket. It can show arrests, charges, and court outcomes across many counties and many years. When you need a complete picture rather than just one booking, GCIC is the right tool.

Contact the GBI GCIC office at 3121 Panthersville Road, Decatur, GA 30034. Phone: 404-244-2639. Appointments are required. Read the GBI FAQ page before your visit to know what to bring and how to schedule. This is separate from anything the Taylor County Sheriff's Office handles locally.

Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, certain GCIC records can be restricted. Charges that were dismissed or resulted in a not-guilty verdict may be sealed from public access.

VINE Service and Open Records Rights in Taylor County

VINE — Victim Information and Notification Everyday — sends free automatic alerts when an inmate's status changes in the jail. If someone is released from the Taylor County Jail, transferred, or escapes, VINE notifies registered users by call, text, or email. No need to keep calling the jail to check. Sign up for free at VINELink.com or by phone. VINE covers all Georgia county jails including Taylor County.

The Georgia Courts website is useful for tracking what happens after an arrest. Court records list hearing dates, formal charges, and case outcomes beyond the booking stage.

Georgia's Open Records Act — O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 — makes jail booking logs available at the Taylor County Sheriff's Office. Most records are provided on request without special justification. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, limited exceptions exist when releasing a record could endanger someone or harm an active investigation. Any denial requires a written explanation citing the specific exemption.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association publishes monthly jail data covering all Georgia counties, including Taylor County's local jail in Butler.

Nearby Counties

Booking records for neighboring areas are held by each county's sheriff. Use these links to access records near Taylor County.