Search Union County Police Records

Union County police records are held by law enforcement agencies in Blairsville, the county seat of this north Georgia mountain county. Sheriff Shawn Dyer leads the Union County Sheriff's Office, which is the primary agency for police records in the area. The department manages incident reports, arrest records, crash reports, and other police documents for Union County. Blairsville has a small police department as well, so records from within city limits may be held by either agency depending on who responded. Union County draws plenty of visitors year-round, and the sheriff's office handles records tied to both residents and visitors.

Union County Sheriff's Office

The Union County Sheriff's Office is at 378 Beasley Street, Blairsville, GA 30512. Sheriff Shawn Dyer runs the department. Call (706) 439-6066 for records questions. This is where you go for police records from Union County. The office handles incident reports, arrest records, and all other law enforcement documents for the county.

Walk-in requests at the Beasley Street office get the fastest results. Bring your ID and whatever details you have about the record. Case numbers make the search quick. Without one, give the date, location, and names of those involved. Staff will search the system and let you know what is there. Written requests by mail go to 378 Beasley Street, Blairsville, GA 30512. Include your name, return address, phone number, and the specifics of what you are requesting.

Phone calls to (706) 439-6066 let you check whether a record exists. The staff can confirm if the report is in their system and walk you through the next steps. Simple requests can sometimes be arranged entirely by phone with a pickup later.

If a Georgia State Patrol trooper handled an incident in Union County, use the EPORTS system to get the report instead of contacting the sheriff's office.

Georgia Open Records Act

The Georgia Open Records Act makes police records in Union County accessible to the public. O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 says public records must be open for inspection and copying. Incident reports, arrest records, booking logs, and other law enforcement files all fall under this law. You can make a request regardless of where you live. No reason is required.

Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-71, agencies have three business days to respond. The response has to confirm whether the records exist and tell you the estimated cost. Union County's sheriff's office is not as busy as metro-area departments, so responses tend to come quickly. But the three-day window is the legal requirement for the initial response no matter what.

Fees are set by state law. Copies cost $0.10 per page. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. After that, hourly charges are based on the salary of the lowest-paid employee who can handle the request. If the total estimate exceeds $25, the agency needs your approval before finishing the work. This protects you from surprise charges.

Note: Union County agencies follow the same Open Records Act fee schedule as every other county in Georgia.

Union County Crash Reports

Accident reports are common requests in Union County. Mountain roads in the area can be challenging, and weather plays a role in crash frequency. If a sheriff's deputy handled the crash, contact the sheriff's office at (706) 439-6066. Give them the date, location, and names of the drivers.

Georgia State Patrol crash reports from Union County are online through eports.gamccd.net. Reports cost $5 each and are usually available within a few business days. You can also check BuyCrash.com for reports uploaded by participating agencies. Both cover State Patrol crashes in Union County.

US Highway 19/129 and State Route 515 run through Union County. The State Patrol frequently handles crashes on these roads. The sheriff's office can tell you whether their deputies responded or if the State Patrol handled it. That saves you from searching the wrong system. For crashes inside Blairsville city limits, the Blairsville Police Department might have the report instead.

Exemptions Under Georgia Law

Not all police records are fully open. O.C.G.A. 50-18-72 lists the exemptions. Active investigation files can be withheld by Union County agencies while a case is being worked. This covers detailed notes, witness identities, evidence descriptions, and other sensitive investigative material. The exemption protects open cases from being compromised.

Initial incident reports are always public though. Initial arrest reports too. The core facts about an incident come out right away. The exemption applies only to the deeper case file. Once the case closes and all court proceedings finish, the full file becomes available to anyone who asks.

Redactions are standard on released records. Social Security numbers come out. Law enforcement home addresses and personal phone numbers are protected. Medical information in police files is removed. Birth date details may be partially redacted. These privacy protections apply in Union County the same as in every other Georgia county.

Criminal Records in Union County

The Union County Sheriff's Office keeps arrest records for people booked at the county jail. These show the charges, booking date, and basic case details. For a statewide criminal history, contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The GBI's Georgia Crime Information Center stores criminal history data from all 159 counties.

Court records are separate from police records. The Union County Clerk of Superior Court in Blairsville maintains files on criminal cases. Charges, plea agreements, trial results, and sentencing information all sit in the court record. To get the full picture of a criminal matter in Union County, check both the sheriff's office for the arrest and the clerk's office for the court proceedings.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association maintains a statewide directory of sheriff offices. Use it to verify contact information for Union County or any nearby county.

How to Request Union County Records

Figure out which agency has the record first. The sheriff's office at 378 Beasley Street covers most of Union County. The Blairsville Police Department handles incidents inside city limits. Contact the right one and provide as much detail as you can about the record you need.

Written requests are recommended. Even if you go in person, bringing a written request avoids miscommunication. Keep a copy for your files. That way you have proof of what you asked for and when. If there is ever a dispute, the paper trail settles it.

Georgia law protects your right to access public records. If a Union County agency improperly denies your request, you can take the matter to court. A judge can order the records released. If you win, the agency may have to cover your attorney fees. This applies in Union County just like it does across the rest of Georgia.

Note: Written requests are best for creating a record of exactly what was requested and when the request was submitted.

Nearby Counties

For police records from counties bordering Union County, check these links.