Search Towns County Mugshots

Towns County jail mugshots come from the Sheriff's Office in Hiawassee, a small mountain town in northeast Georgia. With just over 12,000 residents, Towns County is one of the least populated counties in the state. The booking volume is low compared to metro areas, but every arrest still produces a mugshot and booking record. The Sheriff's Office handles all local law enforcement and jail operations. Georgia law under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 makes these records available to the public through open records requests. This page covers how to search for jail mugshots in Towns County and what state tools can help.

Towns County Sheriff's Office

The Towns County Sheriff's Office is based in Hiawassee. It serves as the primary law enforcement agency for the entire county. The sheriff's team handles patrol, investigations, civil papers, and jail operations all under one roof. Because Towns County is small, the office does not have separate divisions for each task the way larger counties do.

Every arrest in Towns County goes through the jail in Hiawassee. Staff book each person, take a mugshot, and log the charges. These booking records become part of the public record under Georgia law. The jail holds inmates who are awaiting trial, serving short sentences, or waiting for transfer to a state facility. Given the county's small size, the daily inmate count stays low most of the time.

To reach the Towns County Sheriff's Office, call directly or visit in person at the Hiawassee location. Staff can help with questions about current inmates, bond amounts, and how to submit records requests. The office follows state rules on records access, so you have the right to ask for booking data under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70.

Searching for Mugshots in Towns County

Towns County does not run a large online inmate roster. Many small Georgia counties lack the budget for full digital systems. That does not mean you cannot find records. It just means you may need to use a mix of local and state tools.

Start with a phone call. The Sheriff's Office can tell you if someone is in custody right now. They can also confirm whether a booking record exists for a specific person. For anything beyond a quick check, you will likely need to submit a formal open records request. Put your request in writing. Include the person's full name and any other details you have, such as date of birth or an approximate arrest date.

If the person has been transferred to state prison, the Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is your next step. The GDC database covers all state inmates. It shows mugshots, sentence details, and current facility assignments. This tool is free to use and available around the clock.

The state fallback image below shows the GDC search form, which works for any Georgia county including Towns.

The GDC offender query portal lets you search by name for inmates in state custody.

This search form pulls results from across the entire Georgia prison system. If someone from Towns County was convicted and sent to state prison, their record will show up here with a current photo.

GBI Criminal History Checks

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs the Georgia Crime Information Center. The GCIC maintains criminal history records from all 159 counties. A background check through the GBI can pull up arrest records from Towns County along with records from anywhere else in the state.

There are different types of checks. A name-based search is cheaper and faster. A fingerprint-based check is more thorough and catches records that might be filed under a different name. Fees apply for both. The GBI processes these requests and returns results by mail or through their online portal depending on the type of check you submit.

For Towns County specifically, a GBI check might be the best route if you need a complete picture. The county's own systems are limited, so the state database fills in the gaps. It pulls records from the sheriff's office along with any state-level entries tied to that person.

Open Records in Towns County

Georgia's Open Records Act is clear. Public agencies must provide access to records when asked. The Towns County Sheriff's Office falls under this law. You can request mugshots, booking logs, incident reports, and other documents. The office has three business days to respond under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70.

Keep your request short and specific. A request for "all mugshots from last year" will take longer and cost more than asking for one person's booking photo. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the office can charge up to 10 cents per page for copies. If your request takes a lot of staff time to pull together, extra fees may apply. That said, most simple requests are handled quickly.

You can submit requests by mail, in person, or sometimes by email. Ask the Sheriff's Office which method they prefer. Some offices in rural Georgia still handle most requests on paper, while others have started accepting digital submissions.

Georgia Mugshot Laws and Protections

O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 limits how law enforcement can share jail mugshots. The Towns County Sheriff's Office cannot post booking photos on commercial websites. Anyone requesting a mugshot must sign a statement saying the photo will not be uploaded to a site that charges for removal. This rule applies across all Georgia counties.

If you were arrested in Towns County and your case was dropped or you were found not guilty, record restriction may be an option. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, qualifying individuals can apply to have their records sealed from public view. Once restricted, the mugshot and booking details no longer appear in standard searches.

Commercial mugshot sites that post photos and charge money for removal are subject to O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5. If a site has your Towns County booking photo and will not remove it within 30 days after a written request, you can file a complaint with the Georgia Consumer Protection Division. The state takes these complaints seriously.

Bail and Bond in Towns County

After booking at the Towns County Jail, bond is set based on the charges. A magistrate judge reviews the case. Minor offenses often have a standard bond schedule. More serious charges may require a bond hearing. The sheriff's staff can tell you the bond amount for a current inmate if you call.

Towns County has local bonding companies that can post bail. You can also pay the full bond amount directly to the jail. Cash bonds must be paid in exact amounts. The process moves faster in a small county like Towns because the court handles fewer cases each day. Still, weekends and holidays can cause delays. If the arrest happens on a Friday night, the person may not see a judge until Monday.

Nearby Counties

Towns County sits in the northeast corner of Georgia near the North Carolina border. If you need to check records from a neighboring county, these pages can help.