Search Stephens County Police Records

Stephens County police records are maintained by the Stephens County Sheriff's Office in Toccoa, Georgia. The sheriff's office serves as the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of the county and stores incident reports, arrest records, and crash reports. Located in the northeast Georgia foothills near Lake Hartwell, Stephens County has a small but active sheriff's office that responds to calls across a mostly rural area. Residents and members of the public can request copies of police records through the Georgia Open Records Act, which applies to all county law enforcement agencies.

Stephens County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Rusty Fulbright heads the Stephens County Sheriff's Office. The main office sits at 70 North Alexander Street, Suite 205, in Toccoa. You can reach them by phone at (706) 886-2525. The office is open Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Staff handle records requests, provide case information, and assist with general inquiries about law enforcement matters in the county.

The Toccoa Police Department handles law enforcement within city limits. If the incident you are asking about happened inside Toccoa, the city police department holds the report. The sheriff's office covers the rest of the county. Knowing which jurisdiction applies is important for finding the right records quickly.

Stephens County is part of the Mountain Judicial Circuit. The superior court handles felony cases and civil matters. If you need court records tied to an arrest or criminal case, the clerk of superior court is the place to look. Police records and court records are kept in different systems.

Requesting Stephens County Police Records

The Georgia Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 gives anyone the right to request police records from the Stephens County Sheriff's Office. You do not need to explain why you want the records. You do not need to live in Stephens County. The law applies equally to everyone. To start, identify the record you need. A case number is ideal. If you don't have one, use dates, names, and incident details to help staff locate the file.

Requests can be made in person at the Alexander Street office in Toccoa. You can also call or send a letter. Written requests create a clear record of what you asked for and when. This matters because the sheriff's office has three business days to respond under O.C.G.A. 50-18-71. The response can be the actual documents, or a notice explaining when they will be available.

Copies are $0.10 per page. The first 15 minutes of search time cost nothing. After that, the office can charge for time spent pulling records. If the estimated cost passes $25, they must notify you first. You can then decide whether to go ahead or narrow the scope of your request to reduce the cost.

Types of Records Available

Stephens County keeps several categories of police records on file. Incident reports document calls for service. These cover thefts, assaults, vandalism, domestic disturbances, and other criminal complaints. Each report has a narrative written by the responding officer, along with dates, times, and the names of people involved.

Arrest records show who was taken into custody by the sheriff's office. They include the person's name, charges filed, date of arrest, and bond details. Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-72, initial incident reports and initial arrest records are public. This means the basic report is available even while a case is still under investigation. The sheriff's office may withhold parts of an active investigative file, but the initial report itself stays open.

Crash reports from the sheriff's office are also public. Deputies respond to accidents on county roads outside Toccoa city limits. The Georgia State Patrol handles most crashes on state highways and interstates in the area. Those reports go through the state EPORTS system rather than the local sheriff's office.

Note: If a report involves a juvenile, certain identifying details may be redacted under Georgia law before release.

State Resources for Stephens County

The Georgia DPS EPORTS portal is the state system for accessing crash reports filed by the Georgia State Patrol in Stephens County and across the state.

Reports are $5 each and searchable by name, date, or location. For accidents on state routes through Stephens County, this is usually the fastest way to get a copy of the crash report.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains its own records for cases where GBI agents assisted local law enforcement. If a major criminal matter in Stephens County involved the GBI, those records are handled through the state agency. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association provides a current directory of all Georgia sheriffs with contact information that can be useful for verifying details about the Stephens County office.

The BuyCrash system from LexisNexis is another tool for finding Georgia crash reports. Participation varies by agency. Some Stephens County reports may be available through the platform. It provides an alternative if you have trouble locating a report through EPORTS or the sheriff's office directly.

Stephens County Accident Reports

Car accidents in Stephens County are handled by different agencies depending on location. Inside Toccoa, the city police department responds. On county roads, the sheriff's office takes the call. On state highways, the Georgia State Patrol handles the scene. Each agency files and stores its own report.

To get a copy of a crash report from the sheriff's office, follow the same open records process used for other police records. Provide the date of the accident, the location, and names of the people involved. The responding officer should have given you an incident or case number at the scene. Having that number ready speeds things up considerably.

For State Patrol reports, use the EPORTS website. Reports typically become available within five to seven business days after the accident. They cost $5 per report. You can search by date, county, or the names of the drivers involved. This system is separate from the sheriff's office records.

Note: The responding officer should provide you a case number at the scene of any accident in Stephens County.

Denied Requests and Appeals

Most requests for basic police records in Stephens County go through without any problems. The Open Records Act is broad and covers nearly all law enforcement documents. However, there are situations where part or all of a record may be withheld. Active criminal investigations are the most common reason. If releasing information could compromise an ongoing case, the sheriff's office can hold back the investigative file. But the initial report should still be available.

If your request is denied, the sheriff's office must give you a written explanation. They have to cite the specific legal basis for the denial. If you believe the denial is wrong, you can file a complaint or take the matter to Stephens County Superior Court. The court can order the records released. If the court finds the denial was made in bad faith, you may be awarded attorney fees under Georgia law.

Nearby County Police Records

Stephens County borders several counties in the northeast Georgia mountains. An incident near a county line could be filed with a neighboring agency. Check with the right sheriff's office to locate your records.