Access Wayne County Police Records

Wayne County police records are maintained by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office in Jesup, Georgia. Sheriff Chuck Moseley heads the department, which manages incident reports, arrest records, accident reports, and other law enforcement files for the county. The records division handles public requests under the Georgia Open Records Act. Wayne County is in southeast Georgia, and the sheriff's office is the primary records custodian for all unincorporated areas and communities throughout the county.

Wayne County Sheriff's Office Records

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is at 266 East Walnut Street, Jesup, GA 31546. The phone number is (912) 427-5970. Sheriff Chuck Moseley runs the department. The records division handles all open records requests during business hours Monday through Friday.

Records held by the office include incident reports, arrest bookings, crash reports, and supplemental investigation files. The sheriff's office is the main law enforcement agency for unincorporated Wayne County. Jesup has its own police department. If the incident took place inside Jesup city limits, the city police likely have the report.

Before you file a request, find out which agency handled the call. The 911 dispatch center can help you determine this. Once you know it was the sheriff's office, contact the records division with the date, location, and any case number you have. The more detail you provide, the faster the staff can pull your file.

The EPORTS online system from the Georgia Department of Public Safety is another resource for crash reports involving state patrol troopers in Wayne County.

EPORTS lets you search for state patrol accident reports by date and county. Wayne County reports show up in the system a few business days after the crash. The fee is $5 per report.

Records Fees in Wayne County

Wayne County follows state guidelines for records fees. Copies cost $0.10 per page. Accident reports are $5 for parties involved in the crash. These fees are set by Georgia law under O.C.G.A. 50-18-71. The first quarter hour of staff research time is free. After that, the charge is based on the hourly rate of the person doing the search.

If the total is expected to exceed $25, the office will tell you before they finish processing. You can accept the cost or narrow your request. Payment by cash, check, or money order is standard. Call ahead to ask about card options. Make checks payable to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.

Inspecting records in person at the office is free. You only pay for copies you want to take home. This can save money if you only need a few pages from a larger file.

Requesting Wayne County Police Reports

You can request police records from Wayne County by mail, phone, or in person. Written requests are the best method. Include your full name, contact info, and details about the records you need. Be specific. Mail your request to 266 East Walnut Street, Jesup, GA 31546.

Phone requests work for straightforward lookups. Call (912) 427-5970 and speak with the records staff. Tell them the date, location, and type of report. If you have a case number, share that too. The staff can confirm the record is on file and let you know the cost.

In person visits are good for simple requests. Walk into the sheriff's office during business hours and ask at the front desk. For basic reports, you may get copies the same day. Georgia law gives the office three business days to respond, but many routine requests are handled faster.

Note: Email requests may also be accepted. Call the office to ask if they take open records requests by email and get the correct address.

Open Records Law and Wayne County

Georgia's Open Records Act, found at O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, gives the public the right to access police records from Wayne County agencies. Any person can request records. Residency does not matter. You do not have to explain your reason for wanting the records.

Initial incident reports and arrest reports are always public. This is true even when a case is still being investigated. The full investigation file becomes public after all related court cases end. Some records are exempt from release. Records that could endanger someone or reveal a confidential informant may be withheld. But Georgia law favors transparency, and the default is to release records.

If the Wayne County Sheriff's Office denies your request, they must put the reason in writing and cite the specific law. You can challenge any denial in Wayne County Superior Court. The court can order the release of records and may award your legal costs if the denial was not lawful.

Wayne County Crash Reports

Accident reports from Wayne County depend on which agency responded. Sheriff's deputies handle crashes in the unincorporated areas. The Jesup Police Department covers crashes in town. Georgia State Patrol handles some highway crashes.

For sheriff's office reports, call (912) 427-5970 or mail your request to the East Walnut Street address. For state patrol reports, use the EPORTS portal. The cost is $5 for a crash report from either source. Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-72, non-parties to the accident may need to provide a written statement explaining why they need the report.

Reports can take several days to show up in the system after a crash. If you cannot find your report online or through the office, wait a week and try again. The staff can tell you how long processing typically takes for Wayne County reports.

Court Records in Wayne County

Court records are maintained by the Wayne County Clerk of Superior Court at the courthouse in Jesup. These records include case filings, charges, dispositions, and sentencing details. They are different from the police records held by the sheriff's office. Police records cover incidents. Court records cover the legal proceedings that follow.

For statewide criminal history information, contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The GBI runs the state criminal database and handles background check requests. A Wayne County court search only shows cases filed locally.

Note: If you need both police records and court records for the same incident, you will make separate requests to the sheriff's office and the clerk of court.

Nearby Counties

If you need police records from areas around Wayne County, check these neighboring counties.