Access Woodstock Police Records

Woodstock police records are kept by the Woodstock Police Department in Cherokee County, Georgia. Whether you need an incident report, an arrest record, or a crash report from inside the city, the police department handles those files. Woodstock has a population of about 39,000 and sits in the northern part of metro Atlanta along the I-575 corridor. Police records from Woodstock are public under Georgia law. You can get copies by making an open records request to the department. Cherokee County also plays a role for incidents that fall outside city limits.

Woodstock Police Department

The Woodstock Police Department is the main law enforcement agency for the city. Officers respond to calls, take incident reports, write arrest reports, and handle crash investigations within Woodstock city limits. The records division keeps all police reports on file. If a Woodstock officer made the report, you get it from this department. You can call, visit in person, or submit a written request to ask about a specific police record.

The department is on GA-92 in Woodstock. The records office is open during regular business hours on weekdays. Walk-in requests for police reports are common and most staff can pull a report quickly if you have the case number. Bring the date of the incident, any names involved, and the case number if you know it. This helps the records staff find your file fast.

How to Get Woodstock Police Records

Getting police records in Woodstock starts with an open records request under the Georgia Open Records Act. The law is found at O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 and it gives any person the right to inspect and copy records held by public agencies. That includes police records from the Woodstock Police Department. You can file your request in person at the department, by mail, or by email. In-person visits tend to work best for simple requests like a single incident report or accident report.

O.C.G.A. 50-18-71 sets the rules for how fast the department must respond. Woodstock police have three business days to give you the records, provide a cost estimate, or issue a written denial. The first 15 minutes of staff search time are free. Copies cost $0.10 per page. If the total will go past $25, they must tell you first. You can then decide whether to move forward or narrow your request to cut costs.

Note: A case number or report number makes the whole process faster. Without one, use the date and address of the incident to help staff find your file.

When you write your request, be specific. Include your full name, contact info, and a clear description of what you need. Saying "I need the incident report filed on April 3, 2025, at 200 Main Street in Woodstock" works much better than a broad ask for "all police reports from last month." The clearer you are, the faster you get results.

Woodstock Accident Reports

Accident reports are some of the most requested police records in Woodstock. The I-575 corridor and major roads like GA-92 and Towne Lake Parkway carry a lot of traffic through the area. When a Woodstock police officer responds to a crash, they write the report and it stays with the Woodstock Police Department. You can request a copy through the records division using the same open records process.

If a crash happened on a state highway and the Georgia State Patrol responded, that report goes through a different system. State Patrol crash reports are available through the EPORTS portal online. Each report costs $5 and arrives by email. You can also reach the DPS Open Records Unit at openrecords@gsp.net or call (404) 624-7591 to ask about a specific report.

The EPORTS system is the fastest way to get State Patrol crash reports without calling or visiting an office in person.

Open Records Law and Woodstock Police

All requests for Woodstock police records fall under the Georgia Open Records Act. The law covers a wide range of records. Incident reports, arrest records, accident reports, dispatch logs, and most other documents created by the police department are included. The basic idea is straightforward: public agencies make public records, and you have the right to see them.

Some records can be withheld. O.C.G.A. 50-18-72 lists the exemptions. Active investigation files are the most common one. If releasing a report could hurt an ongoing case, the department can hold it back. But here is the key part: initial incident reports and initial arrest reports are always public, even during an active investigation. You can still get the basic facts of what happened and who was involved. Once the case closes, the full file usually opens up for public access.

If you think a denial was wrong, you can appeal it. The Georgia Attorney General's office can give guidance on the open records process and whether a denial was proper under the law.

Criminal Records in Woodstock

A police report is about one event. Criminal records go further. They cover arrests, charges, court outcomes, and sentencing over time and across agencies. For a statewide criminal history check, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs the Georgia Crime Information Center. You can request records through the GBI open records portal. This is a separate system from what the Woodstock Police Department holds in its own files.

Court records for cases that start in Woodstock are handled through Cherokee County. The Cherokee County Clerk of Superior Court keeps criminal case files, including charges, plea deals, verdicts, and sentences. Between the police report from Woodstock and the court records from Cherokee County, you can follow a case from the initial incident all the way through to its final outcome.

Note: Sealed records and juvenile records are not available to the public under Georgia law, no matter which agency you contact about them.

Cherokee County Sheriff and Other Agencies

Woodstock is not the only law enforcement presence in the area. The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office handles policing in unincorporated parts of the county and runs the county jail. If an incident took place just outside Woodstock city limits, the sheriff's office likely has the report. You need to figure out which agency responded before you know where to send your request.

Canton, the Cherokee County seat, has its own police department too. Neighboring cities like Kennesaw and Roswell are in different counties but sit close by. Each city runs its own department with its own records. Knowing which jurisdiction the incident fell in saves you time and avoids sending your request to the wrong place.

Use the directory to find contact info for the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office or any other sheriff's office in Georgia.

Requesting Woodstock Police Records by Mail

If you cannot visit in person, mail is an option. Send your open records request to the Woodstock Police Department, 12453 GA-92, Woodstock, GA 30188. Include your full name, mailing address, phone number, and a clear description of the records you want. A case number helps if you have one available.

If you already know the cost, include payment with your letter. Otherwise, the department will contact you with the amount before they process your request. Mail requests take longer because of postal delays in both directions. Plan for at least two weeks. Keep a copy of everything you send for your own records.

Cherokee County Police Records

Woodstock is in Cherokee County. For county-level records or incidents outside city limits, the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office is the agency to contact. You can find more about police records available through Cherokee County on our county page.

View Cherokee County Police Records

Nearby Cities

These cities near Woodstock also have police records available through their local departments or county agencies.