Georgia Warrant Search: How to Find Warrant Information in Georgia

If you are living in Georgia, or have ever been to Georgia, it's essential to know that there may be warrants out for your arrest. Warrants are issued when a person refuses to appear in court, violates probation, or commits a crime. 

In this article, we will cover the different ways to find warrant information in Georgia and what you should do if you find a warrant for your arrest.

What is a Georgia Arrest Warrant? 

An active warrant is a legal tool in Georgia that grants law enforcement officials the authority to detain a resident suspected of committing a crime. 

Generally, a judge issues these warrants following a presentation of evidence by law enforcement that suggests the individual in question is likely to have committed the crime. 

Once an active warrant is issued, law enforcement can apprehend you at any time, and you could remain in jail until your trial. 

Additionally, an active warrant can appear on background checks, complicating your search for employment or a place to live. If you suspect an active warrant for your arrest, it's wise to seek the guidance of a knowledgeable attorney.

Search warrants in Georgia

Judges and magistrates issue search warrants to enable police officers to determine whether there is evidence to prove a committed crime. 

Before a judge issues a search warrant, the prosecutors must provide strong reasons that the search would produce much-needed evidence of a crime. This judicial writ gives cops the go-ahead to execute searches within a specific location to find probable cause for an arrest. 

Like search warrants in other states, Georgian warrants have a limited validity period. If the cops fail to execute the search within this timeframe, they must obtain another warrant.

Typically, cops require search warrants for felonies, but a few times, they request them for minor crimes like traffic offenses. 

No-Knock warrants in Georgia 

Georgian laws permit judges and magistrates to issue court orders that permit law enforcement officers to enter and search locations without alerting the occupants of their presence. 

No-knock warrants are executed without giving the homeowners time to answer or open the door; the cops more or less barge into the location. 

These types of warrants are often issued when the cops believe announcing their presence may increase the risk of evidence destruction, violence, and escape of suspects. 

How do I search for warrants in Georgia?

Get relevant information/keywords

To obtain details about a potential warrant, you must gather the individual's full name, birth date, and the county where the warrant may have been issued. 

You will need to determine the specific sheriff's office to contact based on the county where the warrant is issued, as sheriff's offices only maintain information on warrants within their jurisdiction. 

Contact the law enforcement agency

You should contact the relevant sheriff's office to learn how to request information on active warrants within a particular county. 

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains a roster of local law enforcement agencies. In contrast, the Georgia Sheriff's Association maintains a directory of contact information organized by county.

Make your warrant request

All sheriff's offices in Georgia provide warrant information through different means. While some may provide it over the phone, others may require an in-person visit for such requests. 

To obtain warrant information over the phone, provide the necessary identifying information to the sheriff's office. 
They will inform you of any warrants associated with the individual in question. 

However, if an in-person visit is required, bring your government-issued identification to the designated location: the sheriff's office, county jail, or courthouse. Remember that you may be immediately arrested if you have a warrant against you and appear in person to request information.

Estimated Validity of Warrants in Georgia

Most warrants have no expiration date in Georgia. The only ones that do are search and no-knock warrants, but the law enforcement agency can continue reviewing this until they execute the operation. 

If there's a warrant assigned to your name in Georgia, it is essential to know that police officers and other law enforcement officers can arrest you at any time or any place. 

For example, an officer can arrest you when you are stopped for a traffic offense and insist you stay in custody until your hearing date. 

In this case, other search warrants remain active and need no renewal until the prosecutors apprehend the suspect or the court is satisfied with the defaulter. 

What Georgia warrant has the worst punishment? 

A person's warrant determines whether they will remain in custody or get released once they pay their fines or fulfill other court requirements. 

If your warrant is due to a court appearance ticket, the cops will give you a date to appear in court and then release you immediately. 

However, if you miss the scheduled court date, the judge will issue another warrant that may result in you being taken into custody until the end of your trial. 

If the officers link your warrant to a court summon, they may not arrest you but rather encourage you to appear in court on the specified date on the warrant. Failure to appear will be a problem for you.

Typically, all arrest warrants help the cops arrest and detain suspected criminals until the end of their trials or until someone settles their bail.