Heard County Jail Mugshots

Heard County jail mugshots are on file at the sheriff's office in Franklin, Georgia. This small west Georgia county borders Alabama and handles all arrest bookings through the Heard County Detention Center. The sheriff's office processes inmates from Franklin, Centralhatchee, Ephesus, and unincorporated parts of the county. A mugshot is taken at every booking along with fingerprints and charge information. You can search for Heard County jail mugshots by contacting the sheriff's office or by checking Georgia state databases for inmates serving state prison time. This page covers your options for finding mugshots and other booking records in Heard County.

Heard County Sheriff's Office

The Heard County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement services across the county and runs the local jail. The office is at 215 East Court Square, Franklin, GA 30217. You can reach them at 706-675-3329 for questions about inmates, jail records, or open records requests.

Heard County has a small population, and the jail handles a lower volume of bookings than urban counties. But the booking process is the same as everywhere else in Georgia. When someone gets arrested, officers take a mugshot photo and collect fingerprints during intake. The booking record logs the person's name, date of birth, charges, bond amount, and the arresting agency. These records stay with the sheriff's office. The detention center mainly holds pretrial inmates and those serving short county sentences. Inmates sentenced to more than a year in prison transfer to a Georgia Department of Corrections facility. The sheriff also handles patrol, civil process, warrant service, and court security for the county.

Search Heard County Booking Records

Looking up jail mugshots in Heard County usually means contacting the sheriff's office. This is a small county, and an online inmate roster may not be available. Call 706-675-3329 to ask about a specific person. Staff can confirm if someone is in custody and share basic booking details.

If the person was convicted in Heard County and is now in state prison, use the GDC offender search. This free tool covers all Georgia state prison inmates. You can search by name to find mugshots, facility location, sentence information, and projected release dates. The GDC system only covers state inmates. It does not show people held at the Heard County jail.

For criminal history records that span all Georgia counties, the GBI criminal history service is available. The Georgia Crime Information Center tracks arrest data, charges, and court outcomes from every county in the state. A fee applies for background checks. This is a good option when you need records from multiple counties or a full arrest history that goes beyond Heard County.

Note: For a small county like Heard, calling the jail directly is often the quickest way to get current inmate information.

Heard County Bond and Court

Bond for people booked at the Heard County jail is set by a magistrate judge. The bond amount depends on the severity of the charges and the person's history. Minor offenses may have a preset bond schedule. Felony charges typically require a hearing before bond is set.

Heard County is part of a judicial circuit with neighboring counties. The superior court handles felonies, and the state court covers misdemeanors. The Heard County Magistrate Court processes first appearances, bond hearings, and warrant applications for people booked into the jail. The courthouse is in Franklin at the county seat. If someone cannot post bond, they remain in the detention center until their case is resolved or bond conditions change. Court records from Heard County cases are kept by the Clerk of Superior Court and are public records under the Georgia Open Records Act.

Georgia Mugshot Regulations

Jail mugshots in Heard County are governed by Georgia state law. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19, law enforcement agencies cannot post booking photos on websites except under specific conditions. Anyone who requests a mugshot from the Heard County Sheriff's Office must sign a statement confirming the photo will not go on a site that charges for removal. This law applies across all Georgia counties.

Georgia's Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 provides public access to government records, including jail booking data. But mugshot distribution has added restrictions from § 35-1-19. People whose Heard County arrest was dismissed or who qualify under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 can seek record restriction. Restricted records are sealed from public view.

Websites that post mugshots and charge for removal violate O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5. The Georgia Consumer Protection Division accepts complaints. Write to the website first and ask for removal. If 30 days pass with no response, file a complaint with the state.

Heard County Records Requests

Open records requests in Heard County go to the sheriff's office at 215 East Court Square, Franklin, GA 30217. Georgia law requires agencies to respond within three business days. Your request can cover booking records, arrest reports, incident reports, and other jail documents.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, copy fees cannot exceed 10 cents per page. You can inspect records for free during normal business hours. For court records related to a Heard County arrest, contact the Clerk of Superior Court at the courthouse in Franklin. Court files include indictments, plea records, sentencing orders, and dispositions. Call 706-675-3329 to check how the sheriff's office prefers to receive requests.

Nearby Counties

Heard County borders these west Georgia counties. Jail mugshots are kept by the county where the booking happened. If the arrest occurred in a different county, check that county's records.