Hinesville Arrest Records

Hinesville arrest records are maintained by the Hinesville Police Department and the Liberty County Sheriff's Office. As the county seat of Liberty County, Hinesville is the main hub for law enforcement in this part of southeast Georgia. The city sits next to Fort Stewart, one of the largest military installations on the East Coast. Local and county agencies both play a role in handling arrest data. This page covers where to find Hinesville arrest records and what steps to take when requesting them from public agencies.

Hinesville Police and Arrest Data

The Hinesville Police Department is at 102 S Main St, Hinesville, GA 31313. The non-emergency number is 912-368-8211. The department handles all law enforcement inside Hinesville city limits. When officers make an arrest, the report is filed with the department first. Booking then happens through the Liberty County jail system. The Hinesville city website has department contacts and public safety updates.

Hinesville arrest records contain the person's name, date of birth, charges, arresting officer, and the date of the event. These records feed into the statewide system managed by the Georgia Crime Information Center. Georgia law treats initial arrest reports as public records. You can request a copy from the Hinesville PD by filing an open records request in writing. The department has three business days to respond under state law.

Because Fort Stewart is right next to Hinesville, some arrests in the area may fall under federal or military jurisdiction instead of local. Those cases would not appear in Hinesville police records. If the arrest happened on the military base, you would need to contact the Army's law enforcement office at Fort Stewart.

Liberty County Sheriff Handles Bookings

Sheriff Will Bowman runs the Liberty County Sheriff's Office from 201 South Main Street, Suite 1300, Hinesville, GA 31313. The phone number is 912-876-2131. The sheriff's office operates the county jail and processes all bookings for Hinesville arrests. Once a person is booked, the county holds the custody record. This is where you go for booking logs, mugshots, and jail intake data.

Liberty County is not a large county by Georgia standards. The sheriff's office handles both city and rural arrests across the area. For Hinesville cases, the arresting agency is usually the city police, but the jail and booking side falls to the sheriff. If you need records from both agencies, plan to contact each one separately. The county may charge a copy fee for paper records.

Note: The Liberty County Sheriff's Office also covers unincorporated parts of the county outside Hinesville city limits.

Requesting Hinesville Arrest Records

To get a Hinesville arrest record, start with the agency that made the arrest. For most cases inside city limits, that is the Hinesville Police Department. Write a letter or email that includes the full name of the person, the approximate arrest date, and any case or report numbers you have. The department will process it under the Open Records Act. Fees vary but are typically small for a single record.

For a broader search, go to the state level. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains the statewide criminal history database. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, individuals can inspect their own record for up to $15. That record would show any Hinesville arrests that were reported into the state system. You can also go to the Liberty County Sheriff for local booking data. Between the city, the county, and the state, you should be able to track down most Hinesville arrest records.

The local court clerk is another option. If an arrest led to a court case, the Liberty County Clerk of Court has the case file. Court records include charges, pleas, and outcomes. These are public unless a judge has sealed them.

State Resources for Hinesville

The Hinesville city website provides direct access to department contacts and local services for residents.

Beyond local agencies, the state of Georgia runs several databases that include Hinesville arrest data. The GBI criminal history FAQ explains how to request records from the state. The Georgia Felon Search tool costs $15 per search and shows felony convictions only. Misdemeanor arrests from Hinesville will not show up there. The GDC Find Offender tool covers anyone currently in Georgia state prison. If a Hinesville arrest resulted in a state prison term, you can look up the person through that database.

The Georgia Sex Offender Registry is also searchable by address. You can check for registered offenders in Hinesville or anywhere in Liberty County. The Georgia Sheriffs by County directory lists all 159 county sheriffs including Liberty County.

Hinesville Record Restriction

Some Hinesville arrest records can be restricted from public view. Georgia law allows this when charges were dropped, dismissed, or never prosecuted. A guilty plea or conviction cannot be restricted. The process depends on when the arrest happened.

For arrests before July 1, 2013, you apply to the arresting agency. In Hinesville, that is the police department or the Liberty County Sheriff. The fee can go up to $50. For arrests after July 1, 2013, you file through the prosecutor's office instead. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-38, sharing restricted arrest records without legal authority carries a fine of up to $5,000. Once a Hinesville record is restricted, it is only visible to law enforcement and courts.

Note: Restriction does not erase the record. It just limits who can see it in a public search.

Liberty County Resources

Hinesville is the county seat of Liberty County. The county courthouse is in Hinesville, which makes it easy to access both city and county records in one trip.

Nearby Cities

These cities are within reach of Hinesville in southeast Georgia. Each has its own law enforcement agency and arrest record procedures.