Find Morgan County Police Records

Police records in Morgan County are managed by the Morgan County Sheriff's Office in Madison. Sheriff Tyler Hooks heads the department. Morgan County is in the Piedmont region of north-central Georgia, east of Atlanta, and the sheriff's office is the main agency that creates and stores police records at the county level. Incident reports, arrest logs, crash reports, and other law enforcement documents are all filed through this office. Madison is a well-known small town, and the county sees a steady volume of records requests from residents and people from outside the area alike.

Morgan County Sheriff's Office Contact

Sheriff Tyler Hooks oversees the Morgan County Sheriff's Office. The office is on Monticello Road in Madison, the county seat. Law enforcement duties include patrol, investigations, serving warrants, and managing public records. Staff take records requests during regular business hours and can answer questions about the process by phone.

Call (706) 342-1507 for records questions. Staff can check what is on file and walk you through the steps. Have details ready. A date, a location, or names of people involved will help staff locate the right record.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association maintains a complete directory of all Georgia county sheriffs, which is useful for verifying Morgan County contact information.

The directory also helps if you need to contact a neighboring county sheriff's office for a related record.

How to Request Records in Morgan County

Phone is the simplest way to start. Call and tell the staff what you are looking for. They will let you know if the record exists and how to get a copy. For more formal requests, write a letter to 1380 Monticello Road, Madison, GA 30650. In the letter, include your name, a way to reach you, and a clear description of the records. You can also go in person during business hours.

Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, Georgia law gives every person the right to inspect and copy public records. You do not need to live in Morgan County. You do not need to explain your reasons. The law applies to police records the same as any other public document. The Morgan County Sheriff's Office must make records available when a proper request is made.

Going in person to the office on Monticello Road is a good option if you are in the area. You can review the records on the spot and decide which pages to copy. This is especially helpful for large files where you only need certain sections. It saves money and time compared to requesting a full copy of everything.

Note: The Madison Police Department handles records for incidents within city limits. Contact them separately if the event happened inside the city of Madison.

Morgan County Response Deadlines

Three business days. That is the window set by O.C.G.A. 50-18-71. The Morgan County Sheriff's Office has to acknowledge your request within that time. They can hand over the records, or they can tell you when the records will be ready. Both count as a valid response.

Most routine requests go quickly. A single incident report or arrest record might be ready the same day or the next business day. Larger requests that involve multiple records, long time spans, or redaction of protected information take more time. The office has to remove things like Social Security numbers, medical data, and juvenile details before giving you the file. That review process adds time, especially for bigger requests.

If the office misses the three-day deadline, call (706) 342-1507 and ask what happened. A follow-up call resolves most delays. If the office still will not comply, Georgia law at O.C.G.A. 50-18-73 lets you petition superior court. The court can order the records released and may award you attorney fees if the agency is found to have violated the Open Records Act.

What Records Can You Get?

The sheriff's office keeps the standard types of police records. Incident reports document crimes, disturbances, and calls for service. These are the records most people ask for. Arrest records show booking info, charges filed, and bond status. Accident reports document vehicle crashes handled by deputies. Citation records cover traffic stops and minor violations.

Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-72, initial incident reports and initial arrest reports are public records in Georgia. This holds true even when a case is under active investigation. The first report filed is always available. The full investigation file may be held back until the case concludes, but the initial document is public from day one. This is a strong protection under Georgia law.

State Patrol crash reports from Morgan County are filed separately through the EPORTS system. Those reports cost $5 each. Interstate 20 runs through the northern part of the county, so State Patrol activity is common. If you are looking for a crash report from I-20, check EPORTS first.

Morgan County Records Fees

Copies are $0.10 per page. Looking at records in person costs nothing. You only pay for copies.

The first 15 minutes of staff search time are free. Beyond that, the office can charge by the hour at a rate based on the lowest-paid employee who can do the work. If the total will go past $25, the office must notify you before proceeding. You can then pay, narrow your request, or cancel. This is a built-in safeguard against unexpected costs on large or broad records requests.

Ask the office about payment methods before visiting. Cash works everywhere. Checks and money orders are commonly accepted. Credit card availability depends on the office. A quick phone call can save you a wasted trip if you only have a card.

Note: Crash reports from the Georgia State Patrol through EPORTS are $5 each and paid with a card online, separate from the sheriff's fees.

State-Level Resources

The EPORTS system from the Georgia Department of Public Safety is the primary online source for State Patrol reports. If a trooper responded to an incident in Morgan County, the report lives in EPORTS. You can email the DPS Open Records Unit at openrecords@gsp.net for anything not in the portal.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has its own records for cases that involved GBI agents. Major crime investigations in Morgan County may have GBI files separate from the sheriff's records. The State Bar of Georgia can help you find a lawyer if your records request gets denied or you need legal guidance on open records issues.

Nearby County Police Records

Morgan County borders seven other counties. Incidents near a county line could have been handled by a different sheriff's office. If you cannot find a record in Morgan County, try one of the neighboring counties below.