Dawson County Arrest Records

In Dawson County, arrest records reveal information about arrests that occurred within the county. Arrests are necessary procedures for apprehending persons suspected of breaking state or federal laws. Law enforcement officers conduct arrests with or without the aid of an arrest warrant. Officers may detain arrestees in the county jail pending the outcome of further investigation.

The Dawson County sheriff's office creates arrest records. The agency also serves as a record custodian and may disclose the records to interested members of the public.

Arrest information is a major constituent of most crime-related documents. This means the public can find arrest information in public documents like Dawson County court records. These documents may include arrest data such as warrants, arrestees' personal information, charges, and booking dates.

Are Arrest Records Public in Dawson County?

Dawson County arrest records are mainly accessible to the public, unless they contain legally exempt information. The Georgia Open Records Act governs public access to arrest records and determines the custodian agency. For instance, the state law designates the county sheriff's office as the record custodian for arrest records. Interested parties can look up arrest records by visiting the sheriff's office at:

19 Tucker Avenue
Dawsonville, GA 30534
Phone: (706) 344-3535
Fax: (706) 344-3537

In Dawson County, some arrest records are exempt from public view. Exempt records may contain information that, if disclosed, will jeopardize the safety and privacy of concerned persons or entities. For instance, the following arrest records are excluded from public access:

• Arrest-related files that may expose the identities of crime victims and confidential sources in a criminal investigation.
• Records that are classified as confidential under state or federal statutes.
• Sealed or expunged arrest records.
• Information that may impede ongoing investigations.

Dawson County Arrest Statistics

As of April 2025, Dawson County, Georgia, has no arrest statistics reports. However, the FBI's Uniform Crime Report revealed that the state's law enforcement agencies made 59,704 arrests in 2019. The Dawson County Detention Center has a maximum capacity of 193 inmates. As of March 2025, the facility housed 110 inmates.

Find Dawson County Arrest Records

Public members can look up arrest information in inmate records. Inmate records provide arrest-related data like the arrestee's personal information, arrest charges, date, location, and bond amount.

Interested parties may conduct searches via government-owned online repositories to view inmate records. For example, the Dawson County sheriff's office hosts an online searchable portal for inmates held in the county jail. Inquirers must input the inmate's name to view records on the platform.

The Georgia Department of Corrections also hosts a search platform for current inmates in the state's correctional facilities. Inquirers can view inmate records by providing the inmate's name, booking number, and inmate number. Conversely, you can view inmate records through the Federal Bureau of Prisons' inmate locator. The search platform offers access to records of inmates held in federal penal institutions.

Dawson County Arrest Records vs. Criminal Records

In Dawson County, arrest records are not the same as criminal records. For example, public members may find different information in these records. For instance, arrest records typically cover information received or created during an arrest event. You might find the arrestee's personal details, criminal charges, booking information, and evidence in arrest records. However, criminal records reveal all information about an individual's criminal history. The record may include information on arrests, judicial activities, and sentencing.

Arrest and criminal records are under the jurisdiction of different agencies. Local law enforcement agencies are the official custodians of arrest records and are also responsible for creating them. In contrast, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is the custodian of criminal records. The agency creates criminal records by collecting crime-related data from other public entities.

The records also have different social implications. Arrest records do not reveal the outcome of criminal charges. Thus, arrestees are not subject to negative social implications. However, criminal records contain information on court convictions. This means convicted offenders may face discrimination, such as restrictions from specific regions.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Dawson County, dismissed arrest charges stay on your records for a limited timeframe. The offense category will determine how long the charges remain. For instance, dismissed misdemeanors will remain public records for two years after the arrest. However, felonies and sex-related crimes have expiration dates of four and seven years, respectively.

Note that arrest charges that led to a conviction will remain permanently in public records. However, you can expunge the record by filing a Request to Restrict Arrest Record with the arresting agency. The agency may approve the request if you meet these requirements:

• It is more than five years since you were convicted of a crime.
• You were released without prosecution.
• There are no pending criminal charges.
• The charges were dismissed, and no accusation or indictment was filed.

Dawson County Arrest Warrants

Arrest warrants in Dawson County are court documents that authorize the arrest of defendants named on the warrant. The court magistrate will issue arrest warrants upon receiving a complaint from an arresting officer. The court must first determine that the complaint contains sufficient proof that the defendant committed a crime or has the potential to cause public harm.
Per GA Code § 17-4-41, arrest warrants must contain the following information:

• The defendant's name, known aliases, and physical descriptions, such as body markings.
• Offense description, including time and date.
• Name of stolen property, if it was a theft.
• The county where the crime occurred.
• The court's official signature.

Do Dawson County Arrest Warrants Expire?

In Dawson County, arrest warrants do not expire even after the statute of limitations for the offense has passed. The records remain active until the defendant is arrested or the court revokes the order. Public members can locate active warrants at the court that issued them.