Find Catoosa County Arrest Records

Catoosa County arrest records are kept by the sheriff's office in Ringgold, Georgia. This northwest Georgia county sits in the Chattanooga metropolitan area and has about 67,000 residents. Sheriff Gary Sisk manages all arrest bookings, the county jail, and records requests. Arrest records from Catoosa County are public under Georgia law. You can get them through the sheriff's office, state criminal history databases, or an open records request. This page explains every way to access Catoosa County arrest records.

Catoosa County Sheriff Arrest Records

Sheriff Gary Sisk leads the Catoosa County Sheriff's Office from PO Box 909, Ringgold, GA 30736. The office is the main source for arrest records in Catoosa County. All bookings into the county jail create a record that includes the person's name, charges, arrest date, and booking details. This data goes into the local system and gets reported to the state.

Call 706-935-2424 to ask about an arrest record or check on a current inmate. You can also visit in person during business hours. Bring a valid photo ID. The staff can search by name or date. For more detailed requests, put it in writing and include as much identifying information as you have. Catoosa County sits along the Georgia-Tennessee border, which means some criminal cases involve cross-state coordination. But the Catoosa County arrest record stays in the Georgia system regardless of where the case goes after that.

Note: Catoosa County arrest records for cross-jurisdictional cases may also appear in Tennessee databases if there was a related arrest there.

State Databases for Catoosa County Arrests

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation keeps the central criminal history database for the state. Catoosa County arrest records flow into this system through the GCIC network. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, you have the right to inspect your own criminal history record for a fee of up to $15. If you spot an error, you get 60 days to challenge it.

The GBI criminal history contact page lists all the phone numbers and email addresses for questions about arrest records. The primary number is (404) 244-2639. The FAQ page covers the full process for getting your own record or understanding what a Georgia criminal history contains.

The Georgia Felon Search is available for felony conviction checks. It costs $15 per search. This tool only returns felony convictions and will not show misdemeanor arrests from Catoosa County. You need the person's name, date of birth, and sex to run the search.

Catoosa County Inmate Lookup

The Georgia Department of Corrections tracks inmates sentenced to state prison. If a Catoosa County arrest resulted in a prison term, the person will be in the GDC system. Use the GDC Find Offender page to search by name or GDC ID. Photos show up when on file.

The query form provides a streamlined way to look up offenders from Catoosa County or anywhere in Georgia. GDC does not guarantee accuracy. Write to Inmate Records at PO Box 1529, Forsyth, GA 31029 to verify. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-38, getting criminal records under false pretenses is a crime with a fine up to $5,000.

Catoosa County Open Records Requests

Georgia's Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 makes most government documents available for public inspection. Catoosa County arrest reports fall under this law. Initial arrest reports are not exempt from disclosure, even if the case is still being investigated.

Submit a written request to the Catoosa County Sheriff's Office. State what you need and provide a time frame. The office has three business days to respond. Copy fees may apply. If you believe a request was wrongly denied, you can challenge it. First-time violations of the Open Records Act carry a fine up to $1,000. Repeat violations within a year can bring up to $2,500.

The Catoosa County Sheriff's Office handles most records requests during normal weekday business hours. Call ahead if you plan to make a large request for multiple Catoosa County arrest records at once.

Record Restriction in Catoosa County

Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, some Catoosa County arrest records can be restricted from public access. This applies when charges were dismissed, dropped, or placed on a dead docket. A restricted record becomes invisible to the public. Only criminal justice agencies can see it.

For Catoosa County arrests before July 1, 2013, apply to the sheriff's office in writing with a fee of up to $50. Later arrests go through the prosecutor. Convictions are never eligible for restriction in Catoosa County or anywhere else in Georgia.

Note: The GCIC at the GBI processes all Catoosa County record restriction requests after local approval.

Nearby Counties

Catoosa County borders these Georgia counties and also sits next to Tennessee. Arrest records are filed in the county where the booking happened.