Dade County Jail Mugshots Lookup

Dade County jail mugshots are managed by the Sheriff's Office in Trenton, Georgia. Sitting in the extreme northwest corner of the state, Dade County has about 16,250 residents and borders both Tennessee and Alabama. The county jail processes all local bookings, and mugshots are taken at the time of arrest. You can search for Dade County jail mugshots through the sheriff's office, state databases, or public records requests. This page shows you the options for finding booking photos and explains the legal rules that apply.

Dade County Sheriff's Office

The Dade County Sheriff's Office is in Trenton and runs law enforcement and jail operations for the entire county. Trenton is the only incorporated city in Dade County, which makes the sheriff's office the main law enforcement agency for nearly all of the area. Deputies handle patrol, investigations, warrant service, and court security.

The county jail processes every local arrest. At booking, staff photograph the person, take fingerprints, log the charges, and enter the information into the records system. Bond is set according to a schedule for most charges, though serious offenses go before a judge. Dade County's position at Georgia's northwest tip means some residents live closer to Chattanooga, Tennessee than to any major Georgia city. But Georgia law still governs all arrests and jail operations here.

You can contact the Dade County Sheriff's Office in Trenton during business hours for questions about inmates, mugshots, or booking records. They are the starting point for any jail-related inquiry in the county.

Search Dade County Mugshots

Dade County's jail roster may be available through the sheriff's office. Call the jail in Trenton to ask about current inmates, or check if the office posts inmate data online. Phone inquiries are the fastest way to confirm who is in custody. Staff can give you the person's charges and bond status right over the phone in most cases.

For inmates who were convicted in Dade County and sent to state prison, the Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is your go-to tool. It is free and open to the public. Search by name and the system returns mugshots, sentences, and prison facility assignments. This does not cover county jail inmates. It is strictly for people in the state prison system.

Because Dade County borders Tennessee and Alabama, some arrests in the area might fall under a different state's jurisdiction. If the arrest happened across the state line, Georgia records will not cover it. Make sure you know which state the arrest took place in before searching Georgia databases for Dade County mugshots.

Dade County Open Records

Georgia's Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 gives you the right to request jail mugshots from Dade County. Write to the Sheriff's Office in Trenton and ask for the specific booking record you need. Provide the person's full name and any other identifying details like a date of birth or arrest date.

The office must respond within three business days. Copy costs max out at 10 cents per page under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. If they deny the request, they have to explain why in writing. Most booking records are public. Juvenile cases and sealed records are the main exceptions to public access.

Note: Dade County's small size means records staff may also handle other duties, so allow a bit of extra time if the office is busy.

Georgia Mugshot Rules in Dade County

Georgia law at O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 controls how law enforcement agencies share jail mugshots. The Dade County Sheriff's Office cannot post booking photos online unless specific conditions are met. If you request a mugshot, you sign a statement saying the photo will not go on a website that charges for removal. This prevents commercial exploitation of arrest photos.

If your Dade County arrest was dismissed or you were found not guilty, record restriction may be an option. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 allows people to apply for restriction of their arrest records in Georgia. A restricted record removes the mugshot and booking data from public search results. The process goes through the arresting agency and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which runs the statewide criminal history database.

Consumer protection law under O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5 provides help if a mugshot website posts your Dade County booking photo. You can send a written removal request. If the site does not comply within 30 days, the Georgia Consumer Protection Division handles complaints and enforcement against non-compliant sites.

Dade County Court and Criminal Records

Dade County is part of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, which also includes Catoosa, Chattooga, and Walker counties. Criminal cases from Dade County go through the Superior Court system. The Clerk of Superior Court in Trenton maintains case files with charging documents, plea records, and sentencing data.

Court records and jail records are two different things. The jail gives you the mugshot, booking date, and initial charges. The court gives you what happened after the arrest. Charges can shift between the time of booking and the final court outcome. If you want the complete picture of a Dade County case, pull records from both the sheriff's office and the court clerk. Together, they tell the full story from arrest to resolution.

Nearby Counties

Dade County is in Georgia's northwest corner with borders on Tennessee and Alabama. Within Georgia, these counties are nearby. Mugshots are held by the county where the booking happened.