Access Columbia County Jail Mugshots

Columbia County jail mugshots are handled by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office near Augusta. This fast-growing suburban county sits along the Georgia-South Carolina border. Unlike many other Georgia counties, Columbia County does not currently have an online inmate search tool. The sheriff's office used to post an inmate list on its website, but that feature is no longer available. To find jail mugshots in Columbia County, you need to contact the Detention Center by phone or visit in person. This page explains how to search for Columbia County jail mugshots, what options you have, and the Georgia laws that apply to booking records.

Columbia County Sheriff's Office

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and all booking operations. The Detention Center is at 2273 County Camp Rd, Appling, GA 30802. The phone number is 706-541-0754. Call this number to ask about current inmates, booking records, or jail mugshots. Staff can look up inmates by name and give you basic booking info over the phone.

Columbia County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Georgia. It sits near Augusta along the Savannah River. The county seat is Appling, a small town that serves as the administrative center. Despite the growth, Columbia County still has a relatively small-town feel compared to metro Atlanta counties. The jail processes all arrests from local police departments and the sheriff's patrol units across the county.

Every arrest in Columbia County results in a booking at the Detention Center. During intake, staff take a jail mugshot along with fingerprints and charge details. These records stay on file with the sheriff's office. Even though the online inmate list is no longer available, the records still exist in the county's system. You just have to ask for them through other means.

Finding Columbia County Jail Mugshots

Columbia County does not have an active online inmate search at this time. The sheriff's office inmate inquiry page used to list current inmates, but that feature is no longer working. This means you cannot look up jail mugshots from your computer or phone the way you can in other Georgia counties.

Your main options for finding Columbia County jail mugshots are to call or visit. Call the Detention Center at 706-541-0754 and ask about a specific person. Staff can check if someone is currently in custody and tell you what charges they face. If you need a copy of the booking photo, you may need to visit in person or file an open records request.

Visiting the Detention Center at 2273 County Camp Rd in Appling is another option. You can ask at the front desk about an inmate and request booking info. Bring a valid ID when you go. The staff can pull up records and let you know what is on file for the person you are asking about.

The image below shows the Georgia Department of Corrections offender search, which you can use to find inmates from Columbia County who have been transferred to state prison.

The GDC offender search covers inmates serving state sentences. If someone was convicted in Columbia County and sent to a state facility, this is where you find their current photo and sentence info. The GDC tool is free and works for any county in Georgia.

Mugshot Laws Affecting Columbia County

Jail mugshots in Columbia County fall under the same Georgia state laws as every other county. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19, law enforcement agencies cannot give booking photos to websites that charge people for removal. This law has been in effect since July 1, 2014. The Columbia County Sheriff's Office must follow this rule when releasing jail mugshots. Anyone requesting a booking photo needs to sign a written statement saying it will not be posted on a pay-to-remove site.

Even though Columbia County does not post mugshots online, this law still matters. If a third-party website obtains and posts your Columbia County booking photo, you have the right to demand removal. O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5 says the site must take the photo down within 30 days of your written request. The Georgia Consumer Protection Division handles complaints against sites that do not comply with removal requests.

Georgia's Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 gives you the right to request jail records from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. The office has three business days to respond. This is how you would formally request a copy of a jail mugshot or booking record if the phone inquiry does not give you what you need.

Columbia County Record Restriction

If your case in Columbia County was dismissed or you were found not guilty, you can apply for record restriction under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37. This seals your arrest record from public access. The restriction covers your jail mugshot, booking data, and fingerprints. Once the court grants it, agencies seal the records and they no longer show up in public searches or standard background checks.

To apply, file a petition with the Columbia County Superior Court. Include your case number, the charges, and the outcome. A judge reviews the petition and decides whether to approve the restriction. The process takes several weeks in most cases. You can handle it yourself, but a lawyer can help make sure everything is filed correctly.

Note: Record restriction does not apply to convictions in most cases, only to dismissed or acquitted charges.

Open Records in Columbia County

Filing an open records request is the formal way to get jail records from Columbia County. You can submit a request to the sheriff's office at 2273 County Camp Rd, Appling, GA 30802 or call 706-541-0754. The request should describe what records you want. Be as specific as you can about the person's name, date of arrest, or booking number if you have it.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, copy fees are capped at 10 cents per page. The sheriff's office can also charge for staff time if your request takes more than a quarter hour to process. Most simple requests for a single booking record will not take long. For broader requests covering multiple records or a date range, there may be additional fees.

For criminal history beyond what Columbia County holds, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs statewide background searches through the Georgia Crime Information Center. This covers arrest and court data from all 159 Georgia counties. The GBI search can show records from Columbia County along with any other counties where the person has a record.

State Search Tools for Columbia County

Since Columbia County does not have an online jail search, state-level tools are especially useful. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search covers anyone in state prison. The GBI criminal history check covers statewide arrest data. These tools fill in some of the gap left by the county's lack of an online roster.

The image below shows the Georgia state offender search portal, which is one of the main tools for finding inmates originally booked in Columbia County who are now in the state system.

This portal is free and open to the public. It covers inmates across all state prison facilities in Georgia.

Cities in Columbia County

Columbia County includes several smaller cities and communities. No cities in Columbia County currently meet the 25,000 population threshold for a dedicated page. All arrests from cities like Evans, Grovetown, Harlem, and Martinez are processed through the Columbia County Detention Center in Appling.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Columbia County. Jail mugshots stay with the county where the booking took place. If you are looking for records from a nearby area, check that county's jail search tools.