Search Webster County Mugshots

Webster County jail mugshots are managed by the Sheriff's Office in Preston, Georgia. This is one of the smallest counties in the state, with a population of about 2,600. Despite its size, the county still books and processes arrests through the local jail. Mugshots and booking records from Webster County are public under Georgia law. This page walks through the ways you can search for these records and the rules that govern access to them.

Webster County Sheriff's Office

The sheriff's office in Preston handles all law enforcement for Webster County. It is a small operation. The office manages arrests, bookings, and jail operations for the entire county. When someone is arrested here, they are processed at the local jail. A mugshot gets taken. Charges are logged. The arrest goes into the system.

Because Webster County is so small, the volume of bookings is low compared to larger Georgia counties. That does not change the rules, though. The same laws apply. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, jail mugshots and booking records are public. The sheriff's office has to make them available when someone submits a proper request. Response time is three business days under the Open Records Act.

Contact the Webster County Sheriff's Office in Preston to start a records request. Provide the full name of the person and any other details you have. A date of birth or arrest date makes the search faster. In a small county like this, staff usually know their records well and can pull what you need without much delay.

How to Find Webster County Booking Photos

Webster County does not have a public online inmate roster. Most small Georgia counties lack the resources to maintain one. Your best option for local records is to contact the sheriff's office directly. Phone calls work. In-person visits work. Written requests by mail are also accepted.

For state-level searches, use the Georgia Department of Corrections offender search. This tool is free and open to the public. It covers anyone who has been sentenced and sent to a Georgia state prison. If someone was convicted in Webster County and transferred to state custody, they will show up in this database with a mugshot, sentence info, and current facility.

The GDC search form is simple to use and provides results fast.

The search covers the entire state prison system. You just need a name. No account or fee is required to run a search. Results include photos when available.

GBI Criminal History Checks

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains criminal history records through the Georgia Crime Information Center. A GCIC check pulls records from all 159 counties. This includes Webster County. If a person has been booked anywhere in Georgia, the GCIC database should have a record of it.

There is a fee for GBI background checks. The results are more thorough than what you get from a single county search. The report shows arrest records, court dispositions, and other criminal history data from across the state. For a small county like Webster, where records volume is low, the GBI check can fill in gaps that the local office might not cover online.

The GCIC is not a free public search tool. It is a formal background check. You request it through the GBI website. Processing times vary, but you will get a full statewide report back.

Georgia Mugshot Laws and Webster County

Georgia law sets clear rules about how mugshots can be shared. O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 says that law enforcement agencies cannot post booking photos on websites unless specific conditions are met. The statute also requires anyone who requests a mugshot to sign a written statement saying they will not post it on a website that charges for removal. This law covers the Webster County Sheriff's Office just like every other law enforcement agency in the state.

The Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 provides the legal basis for requesting jail records. Copy fees are governed by O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, which caps them at 10 cents per page. Webster County follows these same rules. Even as one of the smallest counties in Georgia, the legal framework is identical.

Record restriction is possible under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37. If charges were dropped or you were acquitted, you may be able to get your booking record restricted. This removes it from standard public searches. The process involves filing paperwork with the appropriate state agency. It is not automatic, but the option exists.

Consumer Protection for Mugshot Websites

Commercial websites sometimes post mugshots and charge fees to take them down. Georgia addresses this under O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5. If a website has your Webster County mugshot and will not remove it within 30 days after you send a written request, you can file a complaint.

The Georgia Consumer Protection Division handles these complaints. They have the authority to take action against companies that violate this law. The Division's website has information about how to file a complaint and what to include. This protection applies to booking photos from any Georgia county, Webster included.

This is a state-level protection. You do not need to go through the local sheriff's office for this. The complaint goes straight to the state consumer protection office. They deal with the website directly.

Submitting Records Requests in Webster County

Keep your request simple. Give the sheriff's office the full name of the person. Include a date of birth if you know it. An arrest date or date range helps too. The more specific you are, the faster the process goes.

Georgia law gives the office three business days to respond. In a county as small as Webster, responses often come faster than that. Staff can usually confirm whether a booking record exists right away. Getting copies of the actual documents or photos may take a bit longer, especially if you request them by mail.

Fees are minimal. The 10-cent-per-page cap under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71 keeps costs low. If your request is straightforward, there should be little to no additional charges beyond copy fees. Large or complex requests that take significant staff time may carry extra costs, but that is rare for a simple mugshot request in a small county.

Nearby Counties

Webster County is in southwest Georgia. It borders several other small counties. If you need to search for booking records from a neighboring area, try these counties.