Atlanta Background Check

Atlanta background check records come from several agencies because the city spans two counties. Atlanta sits in both Fulton County and DeKalb County, so records may exist in either jurisdiction. The Fulton County Sheriff's Office handles most Atlanta background check requests since the bulk of the city falls in Fulton. The Atlanta Police Department also keeps its own case files and arrest records. With over half a million residents, Atlanta generates a high volume of criminal records across local, county, and state systems.

Atlanta Background Check at Fulton County

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office is the main source for an Atlanta background check. Sheriff Patrick "Pat" Labat runs the office at 185 Central Ave SW in Atlanta. The fee is $15. You must pay with cash or a U.S. postal money order. No cards, no checks, no other payment types work here. Bring a valid photo ID to get started. The staff runs your name through local files and the state crime database. Because Atlanta is such a large city, this office handles a heavy caseload. Plan for some wait time when you go in person.

Name-based checks are what the sheriff's office does. You give them a full name and date of birth. They search their local records and the state system. Results may take a few business days to come back depending on the volume of requests in the queue. If you need the check done faster, the Georgia Felon Search portal gives instant results online for $15, but it only covers felony convictions. It will not show arrests, pending cases, or misdemeanor records from Atlanta or anywhere else in Georgia.

Note: The Fulton County Sheriff's Office only accepts cash or U.S. postal money orders for the $15 background check fee.

DeKalb County and Atlanta Records

Part of Atlanta extends into DeKalb County. If the person you are checking lived in the DeKalb portion of Atlanta, their records may be filed there instead of Fulton. Sheriff Melody Maddox runs the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office at 4415 Memorial Drive in Decatur. Call 404-298-8111 for questions. A background check at DeKalb follows a similar process. Bring your ID, provide the name and date of birth, and pay the fee. DeKalb handles its own arrests and court cases separately from Fulton, so a complete Atlanta background check may require checking both counties.

This two-county split is something many people miss. An Atlanta address does not always mean Fulton County. Check which county covers the specific address in question. The county line runs through the city, and it makes a real difference in where records are filed. Court cases, arrest logs, and jail bookings all go to the county where the incident took place, not just where someone lives.

Atlanta Police Department Records

The Atlanta Police Department is at 226 Peachtree Street SW. The non-emergency line is 404-614-6544. The APD keeps its own records for incidents, arrests, and cases that its officers handled. These records are separate from what the county sheriff holds. If you want a full picture for an Atlanta background check, the police department is another place to look. They can provide arrest reports and incident reports for cases the APD investigated.

The APD covers all of Atlanta regardless of which county a particular neighborhood falls in. So even in the DeKalb side of the city, if Atlanta Police responded to a call, the APD holds that report. This is different from the county-level records. The sheriff's office has county-wide data, but the city police department has city-wide data. These two pools of records overlap in some areas but not all. It depends on which agency responded to the call or made the arrest.

Note: Atlanta police records and county sheriff records are separate systems, so checking both gives a more complete Atlanta background check.

Atlanta Background Check Image

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office website shows the services available for background check requests in the Atlanta area.

This is the main office that processes Atlanta background check requests for anyone living in the Fulton County part of the city.

State Resources for Atlanta

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs the statewide criminal history system. All Atlanta records feed into this system through the Georgia Crime Information Center. The GCIC is the central hub for criminal records in Georgia. However, the GCIC does not do name-based searches for the public. You have to go through a local agency or use the state's online tools to search by name.

The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 per search. It shows felony convictions only. You enter a name and get results sent to your email right away. This tool does not show arrests, pending charges, or misdemeanor cases. For a deeper search, the GAPS fingerprint system through IdentoGO pulls from both GBI and FBI databases. Fingerprint checks are more thorough than name searches. They also pick up out-of-state records. There are several IdentoGO locations throughout the Atlanta metro area.

Georgia Law on Background Checks

Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, the GBI shares criminal history data with authorized parties. The law caps the fee for a background check at $20 per record. Most local agencies charge less than the cap. Fulton County charges $15, for example. The law also sets rules about who can get what information and how the data must be handled once it is received.

Record restriction is another part of Georgia law that affects Atlanta background checks. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, certain records can be restricted from public view. This means a background check may not show every arrest or charge in a person's past. The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 also plays a role. If someone completed their sentence under this act, the conviction does not appear as a conviction on a standard background check. It still exists in the system, but it shows up differently.

These laws apply across all of Georgia, but they come up often in Atlanta because of the sheer number of cases processed here. More people means more records, and more records means more situations where restrictions and first offender status come into play.

Atlanta Background Check Fees

• Fulton County Sheriff background check: $15 (cash or U.S. postal money order)
• Georgia Felon Search: $15 per search (online, felony convictions only)
• GAPS fingerprint check: varies by IdentoGO location
• Record restriction: $25 per arrest in Fulton County
• Maximum fee allowed by state law: $20 per O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34(d.3)

The payment rules at the Fulton County Sheriff's Office are strict. Cash or U.S. postal money order only. If you show up with just a debit card, you will have to leave and come back. Get the money order ahead of time to save yourself a wasted trip. The fee for the state Felon Search is paid online with a credit or debit card. GAPS fingerprint checks are also paid at the IdentoGO location where you get your prints taken.

Atlanta Contact Information

• Atlanta Police Department: 226 Peachtree Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
• APD Non-Emergency: 404-614-6544
• Fulton County Sheriff: 185 Central Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30303, 404-612-5100
• DeKalb County Sheriff: 4415 Memorial Drive, Decatur, GA 30032, 404-298-8111
• Georgia Sheriffs Directory: georgiasheriffs.org

For an Atlanta background check, start with the Fulton County Sheriff's Office if the address is in Fulton County. Start with DeKalb if the address falls on that side of the city. If you are not sure which county covers the address, the APD can help point you in the right direction. You can also check both counties to be thorough. The city police department is a third option that holds its own set of records from APD-handled cases.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Atlanta and have their own background check resources. Each links to a page with local details.