Coweta County Police Records

Police records in Coweta County are maintained by the Coweta County Sheriff's Office, headquartered in Newnan. Sheriff Lenn Wood oversees county law enforcement, including the records division that processes public requests for incident reports, arrest records, and accident documentation. Coweta County sits southwest of Atlanta and has a growing population spread across several communities, with Newnan serving as the county seat and largest city. The sheriff's office is the primary custodian of police records for the unincorporated areas and works alongside the Newnan Police Department, which handles records within city limits.

Coweta County Sheriff's Office Records

The Coweta County Sheriff's Office is located at 560 Greison Trail in Newnan. Sheriff Lenn Wood runs the office, and the records division handles all public records requests for the county. You can call (770) 253-1502 to reach the main line. The office is open Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Walk-in requests are accepted, and staff can assist you with finding the right forms and identifying the records you need. If you know the date, name, or case number tied to the incident, bring that info with you. It makes the whole process go faster.

You can also submit your request in writing. Mail it to 560 Greison Trail, Newnan, GA 30263. Written requests are preferred because they create a paper trail. This helps if there is ever a question about what you asked for or when you asked. Email requests may also be accepted, so call the office to confirm their current email address for open records. Staff will let you know the cost before they start pulling copies.

Note: Coweta County has both a sheriff's office and the Newnan Police Department, so make sure you contact the right agency based on where the incident took place.

How to Get Police Records in Coweta County

The steps for getting police records in Coweta County are set by state law. Georgia's Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 gives everyone the right to inspect and copy records held by government agencies. The Coweta County Sheriff's Office must follow these rules. You do not need to be a resident. You do not need to give a reason for your request. Just tell them what records you want. Provide a name, a date, or a case number. The staff will search their files and let you know what they find.

The sheriff's office must respond within three business days. That is the law under O.C.G.A. 50-18-71. The response could be the records, or it could be a message telling you when the records will be ready. Simple requests for a single report are sometimes filled while you wait. Larger requests that span multiple incidents or date ranges take longer. The office will keep you posted on the timeline. If they need more time, they are required to say so within that first three-day period.

Fees for copies are $0.10 per page. Search time is free for the first quarter hour. After that, the office can charge based on the hourly rate of the employee pulling the files. If the total will exceed $25, they have to give you an estimate first. This lets you decide if you want to narrow the request or proceed with the full cost.

Coweta County Police Report Types

Several types of police records are on file at the Coweta County Sheriff's Office. Incident reports cover crimes, disturbances, and calls for service in the county. Arrest records document who was taken into custody, the charges filed, and the booking details. Accident reports cover vehicle crashes handled by sheriff's deputies. Jail booking logs track everyone who comes through the county detention center. Each type of record may have slightly different rules about what can be released.

Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-72, some records are exempt from public release. Active investigation files can be held back until the case is closed. Initial incident reports and initial arrest reports, however, are always public. Even if the investigation is still going on, the basic facts of an arrest or an incident have to be released. Social Security numbers, medical records, and certain personal details are redacted from all copies before they are handed over. The sheriff's office takes care of the redaction before you get your copies.

Accident reports in Coweta County follow extra rules. If you were involved in the crash, you can request your own report directly. Third parties need to provide a Statement of Need explaining why they want the report. Insurance claims and court cases are typical reasons that satisfy this rule. The sheriff's office will review the statement and let you know if the report can be released.

State Resources for Coweta County

Some records tied to Coweta County can be found through state-level agencies. The EPORTS system stores crash reports filed by the Georgia State Patrol. If a trooper responded to an accident in the county instead of a sheriff's deputy, the report goes into EPORTS. These reports cost $5 each and are available online around the clock. The system covers crashes worked by the State Patrol across all Georgia counties.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association maintains a directory of every county sheriff's office in Georgia.

Use the directory to find contact details for the Coweta County Sheriff's Office or any neighboring county agency. It is free to use and does not require an account.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation handles records requests for cases where the GBI was called in to help. If the GBI assisted with an investigation in Coweta County, their records are held separately. The GBI also runs the Georgia Crime Information Center, which stores criminal history records from all agencies in the state. You can request your own criminal history through the GBI for a fee. For additional crash report access, BuyCrash from LexisNexis lets you search and buy accident reports from agencies across Georgia online.

Note: The Newnan Police Department keeps its own records for incidents within city limits, so check with them if the event happened inside Newnan.

Cities in Coweta County

Newnan is the county seat and the largest city in Coweta County. The Newnan Police Department handles law enforcement within city limits, so police records for incidents in the city are held by that department rather than the sheriff's office. For incidents outside city limits, the sheriff's office is the right agency to contact.

Nearby County Police Records

Coweta County is surrounded by several counties in west-central Georgia. If your incident occurred near a county line, the report may be on file with a neighboring agency instead. Verify the location before submitting your request to make sure you are contacting the right office.