Valdosta Police Records Lookup

Police records in Valdosta are maintained by the Valdosta Police Department, which is the primary law enforcement agency for the city. Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County and the largest city in south Georgia, with a population of about 55,700 residents. The police department responds to all calls within city limits and keeps records of incidents, arrests, and traffic crashes. Anyone looking for a police record from an event that happened in Valdosta should contact the city police department directly to get the process started.

Valdosta Police Department

The Valdosta Police Department is at 500 N Toombs St, Valdosta, GA 31601. The phone number is (229) 293-3097. The department has a records division that takes open records requests and provides copies of police reports. Valdosta PD serves the city and handles a wide range of calls, from traffic stops to criminal investigations.

You can visit the department in person during business hours. Walk-in requests are handled at the front desk. Bring the date of the incident, the location, or a case number. This makes the search faster. For simple requests like a single crash report, the process is usually quick. You may be able to get your copy the same day.

Written requests are accepted by mail as well. Include your name, contact info, and the details of the records you need. The department will search their system and respond with the records or a cost estimate. Phone requests may work for simple things like confirming a report exists, but getting copies usually requires an in-person visit or written request.

The Valdosta Police Department website has more on the department, including division contacts and community programs.

Open Records Laws in Valdosta

Valdosta follows the same open records laws as every other city in Georgia. Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, public records must be available for inspection and copying. Police records are public records. That includes incident reports, arrest records, crash reports, and other law enforcement files. You do not need to give a reason for your request. The law applies to everyone.

The department must respond within three business days per O.C.G.A. 50-18-71. They can hand over the records, provide a cost estimate, or deny the request in writing with the legal reason. For a single report, the response is often faster than three days. The three-day rule is the maximum, not the norm. Valdosta PD deals with records requests on a regular basis and keeps the process moving.

Some records have restrictions. O.C.G.A. 50-18-72 lists what can be withheld. Active investigation files are exempt while the case is open. Records that might endanger someone or reveal a confidential source can be restricted too. But initial arrest reports and initial incident reports are always public. Those first reports cannot be held back, even during an active investigation.

Note: If you receive a denial you think is wrong, ask for it in writing with the specific code section cited. This is your right under the law and starts the clock on any appeal process.

Valdosta Crash Reports

Crash reports from Valdosta PD are available through the records division. If a city officer handled the accident, the report is with the department. Visit with the date and location. The fee is around $5. Having the report number speeds things up. If you do not have it, the date and the names of the people involved will work.

The Georgia State Patrol handles some crashes in the Valdosta area, especially on highways and interstates. If a trooper took the report, it goes through the state system. The BuyCrash portal from LexisNexis lets you search for crash reports from many agencies. Reports cost $5 each. You can search by name, date, or report number.

BuyCrash from LexisNexis is a tool for finding and purchasing crash reports from law enforcement agencies across Georgia.

This portal is useful when you are not sure if a Valdosta officer or a state trooper handled the crash, since it pulls reports from multiple agencies.

The Georgia EPORTS system is another option for reports filed by the Georgia State Patrol specifically. It charges $5 per report and allows searching by name or date.

Valdosta Arrest and Incident Records

Arrest records from Valdosta PD include the name, charges, date, and location of the arrest. These are public records. Anyone can ask for a copy. If the person was booked into the Lowndes County Jail, the county sheriff's office has the booking and intake records separately. The Lowndes County government website can point you to the sheriff's office for those records.

Incident reports cover all types of police calls. Each report has a case number, the names of people involved (unless exempt), and a narrative from the officer. Whether it was a theft, an assault, a domestic call, or a noise complaint, there is a report. You get it by contacting the records division with as much detail as you have about the incident.

Valdosta is the biggest city in south Georgia, and the police department handles a high volume of calls. Having specific dates, addresses, or names makes the search go faster. Without that info, the staff has to search more broadly, which takes more time and may cost more if the search goes past the free 15-minute window.

Additional Resources

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association keeps a directory of all county sheriffs in the state. If you need to contact the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office or any other county agency, this is the fastest way to find current contact info. The directory lists phone numbers, office addresses, and links to department websites for all 159 Georgia counties.

For statewide criminal history searches, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains the Georgia Crime Information Center. A formal background check through GBI covers records from across the state. That is a different process from an open records request to Valdosta PD, but it is worth knowing about if you need to search more broadly.

Valdosta State University is in the city, which means the campus police department also handles calls on university property. If the incident happened on campus, the VSU Police Department may have the record instead of Valdosta PD. Contact the university police for campus-related reports.

Note: VSU Police and Valdosta PD are separate agencies with separate records systems, so make sure you contact the right one based on where the incident took place.

Lowndes County Records

Valdosta is in Lowndes County. For county-level police records, sheriff records, and jail information, visit the Lowndes County police records page. The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office covers unincorporated areas of the county and runs the county jail. If someone arrested in Valdosta was booked into the county jail, Lowndes County has those records.

Nearby Cities

These cities in south and central Georgia have their own police records pages with department details and request information.

• Albany
• Statesboro