Search Long County Police Records

Long County police records are kept by the Long County Sheriff's Office in Ludowici, Georgia. Sheriff Craig Nobles oversees the department and its records division. The office stores incident reports, arrest records, accident reports, and other law enforcement files for the county. Long County is in southeast Georgia, a mostly rural area with a small population. The sheriff's office is the main law enforcement agency here, and all open records requests for police documents go through their office at PO Box 368 in Ludowici.

Long County Sheriff's Office Records

The Long County Sheriff's Office is the primary source for police records in the county. The mailing address is PO Box 368, Ludowici, GA 31316. The phone number is (912) 545-2118. Sheriff Craig Nobles leads the department. Office hours are Monday through Friday during regular business hours.

Long County is a small, rural county. The sheriff's office handles all law enforcement duties for the area. There is no large municipal police department. This makes things simpler when you need a police report. If the incident occurred anywhere in Long County, the sheriff's office is almost certainly where the record is kept.

Written requests are the best approach. Send a letter to PO Box 368, Ludowici, GA 31316. Include the date of the incident, the names of people involved, and what kind of report you are after. A case number speeds things up. You can also call (912) 545-2118 and ask about a specific report over the phone. The staff will let you know what they have and what it costs to get copies.

Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, the Georgia Open Records Act requires the sheriff's office to make public records available for inspection and copying. Police records fall squarely under this law. You do not need to explain why you want the records.

Fees and Costs

Long County police record fees follow state law. Copies cost $0.10 per page. That is the standard rate set by O.C.G.A. 50-18-71 that applies to all Georgia counties. The first 15 minutes of staff search time are free. After that, the office can charge based on the hourly rate of the person doing the work.

Accident reports typically cost $5 for parties involved in the crash. If your total will be over $25, the office must tell you the estimated cost before they finish the work. This gives you a chance to narrow your request or confirm that you want to proceed. For most single-report requests, the cost is just a couple of dollars.

Payment methods may be limited in a small office like Long County. Cash and checks are safe bets. Call ahead to confirm what forms of payment they accept if you plan to pick up records in person.

Note: The $0.10 per page rate applies to standard paper copies. Electronic records, if available, may have different pricing.

Long County Accident Reports

Accident reports from Long County depend on who responded to the crash. If a sheriff's deputy worked the scene, the report is at the sheriff's office. Georgia State Patrol troopers also respond to crashes in the county, especially on US 301 and US 25, the main highways running through the area.

For state patrol reports, use the Georgia EPORTS system. This online portal lets you search for and purchase crash reports from the Georgia State Patrol.

The EPORTS system covers all state patrol reports across Georgia, including those from Long County. Search by the date of the crash and the location. The fee is $5, and you get the report by email once it is processed. Reports are typically available a few business days after the crash.

The BuyCrash portal is another online option. It covers reports from multiple agencies. Search by name, date, or location to find your Long County crash report. If it is in the system, you can buy and download it right away.

Criminal Records

Criminal records in Long County come from two places. The sheriff's office keeps arrest records from law enforcement activity. The Clerk of Superior Court in Ludowici maintains court records with charges, case dispositions, and sentencing information. An arrest record tells you about the law enforcement action. A court record shows what happened with the case after the arrest.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation handles statewide criminal history checks. A GBI search covers all 159 Georgia counties and gives a more complete picture than checking just one county. For people who may have records in multiple jurisdictions, the GBI check is the way to go.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association website has a directory of all sheriff's offices in Georgia. This is useful if you need to contact several counties about records. Long County borders Liberty, Wayne, Tattnall, and Bryan counties, so incidents near the borders could be in any of those jurisdictions.

Note: Arrest records and court records are separate. You may need to request from both the sheriff's office and the clerk of court to get the full story on a case.

Open Records Rights in Long County

The Georgia Open Records Act protects your right to access police records from the Long County Sheriff's Office. Initial incident reports and initial arrest reports are public records. They must be released even while a case is still under investigation. The basic facts of what happened are available from the start.

Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-72, some records are exempt. Records that could endanger someone's life, juvenile records, and confidential informant details can be withheld. Investigation files may be partially redacted while a case is active. But once all legal proceedings end, the full file becomes available to the public.

The sheriff's office must respond within three business days. If they deny your request, the denial must be in writing with a specific legal citation. You can challenge a denial in superior court. Georgia law provides for penalties against agencies that improperly withhold public records. These protections keep the system working for people who need access to police records in Long County.

Nearby Counties

Police records from counties near Long County are available through these sheriff's offices.