Fulton County Records Lookup

Fulton County police records are held by multiple law enforcement agencies across the county. The Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Atlanta serves as the primary county-level agency under Sheriff Pat Labat. But Fulton County is home to many city police departments, including the Atlanta Police Department, which is one of the largest in the Southeast. If you need police records from Fulton County, the agency that responded to the incident is the one that has the file. Given how many agencies operate here, knowing which one to contact is the first step in getting the records you need.

Fulton County Sheriff's Office

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office is based at 185 Shirley C. Franklin Blvd SW Floor 9, Atlanta, GA 30303. Sheriff Pat Labat leads the department. The phone number is (404) 612-3280. The sheriff's office handles county-level law enforcement duties, including operating the jail and managing warrants. They keep booking records, arrest data, and other files related to their operations. For police incident reports, the sheriff's office may not always be the right contact since many calls in Fulton County are handled by city police departments.

That said, the sheriff's office is a good starting point if you are not sure where to look. Staff can help direct you to the right agency. Fulton County is large and stretches from the north side of metro Atlanta down to the south side. Depending on where the incident happened, it could have been handled by any number of agencies. The sheriff's office has a broad view of who covers what in the county and can point you in the right direction.

The Fulton County government website has details on county departments, including the sheriff's office. You can find contact info, office locations, and links to specific divisions from there.

Open Records Laws in Fulton County

Georgia's Open Records Act governs how police records work in Fulton County. Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, public records must be available for inspection and copying. Police records qualify as public records. That includes incident reports, arrest records, booking information, and related files. You do not need to state why you want the records. The law gives everyone the same right of access.

Agencies in Fulton County must respond to your request within three business days, per O.C.G.A. 50-18-71. They can provide the records, give you a cost estimate, or issue a written denial citing the specific law that applies. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. Beyond that, the fee is based on the hourly rate of the lowest-paid employee who can fulfill the request. Paper copies cost $0.10 per page. If the total will exceed $25, the agency must notify you before proceeding. Given the volume of requests Fulton County agencies handle, having detailed information about what you need helps them find it faster.

Some records are exempt from release. O.C.G.A. 50-18-72 lists those exceptions. Active investigation records can be withheld to protect the integrity of the case. But initial incident reports and initial arrest reports remain public even during active investigations. Records that could endanger someone or reveal a confidential informant may also be restricted. After a case is closed and all court proceedings are complete, the full file generally becomes available.

Note: Fulton County agencies handle a high volume of records requests, so providing detailed information helps speed up the process considerably.

City Police Departments

Fulton County has more city police departments than most Georgia counties. Atlanta is the largest, and the Atlanta Police Department handles tens of thousands of calls each year. Sandy Springs has its own police department. Roswell, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, and Milton all have their own police forces as well. In south Fulton County, South Fulton, East Point, and Union City also run their own departments.

Each department keeps its own police records. If an Atlanta officer took the report, you need to contact APD. If a Sandy Springs officer handled the call, go to their department. The same is true for every city in Fulton County. This is important because a lot of people assume the county sheriff's office has all the records, but that is not how it works. The responding agency has the file. Contact that agency to get your copy.

If you do not know which agency was involved, the Fulton County 911 center can often check dispatch records to see who responded. That is a quick way to figure out which department to contact for your police record.

Fulton County Accident Reports

Crash reports are a major category of police records in Fulton County. Given the heavy traffic on interstates like I-75, I-85, and I-285, plus all the surface streets across the county, accidents are a daily occurrence. The agency that responded to the crash has the report. For city streets, that is usually the city police department. For highways and interstates, the Georgia State Patrol often handles the scene.

State patrol reports from Fulton County are available through the EPORTS system run by the Georgia Department of Public Safety. Reports cost $5 and are delivered by email after you submit the request online.

The EPORTS portal is the official source for Georgia State Patrol crash reports from all over the state, including the many highways that run through Fulton County.

You can also check BuyCrash for accident reports from local agencies. Some Fulton County police departments upload their crash reports to this system for easy online access. It is worth trying BuyCrash first since you can search by date and location to find your report quickly.

Criminal Records in Fulton County

Criminal history records differ from individual police reports. A police report documents one event. A criminal history shows a person's full record of arrests and convictions across agencies and time. The Fulton County Sheriff's Office can share local booking data, but a statewide criminal history search goes through the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The GBI maintains the Georgia Crime Information Center database.

The Fulton County Clerk of Superior Court is another key source. The clerk keeps records for all criminal cases in the Fulton County court system. This includes charges filed, plea agreements, trial outcomes, sentencing, and probation details. Court records are separate from police reports and provide the legal conclusion of a case. For a county as large as Fulton, the volume of court records is substantial. The clerk's office at the Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta handles requests for these files.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association lists all sheriff's offices in the state if you need records from agencies beyond Fulton County.

Note: The Atlanta Police Department has its own records division that is separate from the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, so contact APD directly for Atlanta incident reports.

How to Request Fulton County Records

With so many agencies in Fulton County, the first step is always figuring out which one has the record you need. Once you know that, the process is the same across the board. You can request records in person, by mail, by phone, or in writing. Most agencies accept all of these methods. Written requests are best for creating a paper trail.

For the sheriff's office, visit 185 Shirley C. Franklin Blvd SW in Atlanta during business hours. Bring ID and the details of what you need. Include dates, names, and a case number if you have one. For city police departments, contact the specific department. The Atlanta Police Department has a dedicated records unit that handles a large volume of requests. Smaller departments like those in Johns Creek or Milton may have a single staff person who manages records.

All agencies in Fulton County must follow the three-business-day response timeline set by Georgia law. Fees are the same everywhere. Keep a record of when you made the request and what you asked for, especially if you are dealing with a large agency where things can sometimes move slowly due to sheer volume.

Nearby Counties

Police records from areas around Fulton County can be found in these neighboring counties.