Access Cartersville Background Check

A Cartersville background check goes through the Bartow County Sheriff's Office as the primary local source for criminal history records. Cartersville is the county seat of Bartow County with a population of about 25,000. Sheriff Clark Millsap runs the department from 104 Zena Drive in Cartersville. The sheriff handles all criminal history requests for the county. Because Cartersville is the county seat, the sheriff's office is located right in town. All arrest records from the Cartersville area feed into the Bartow County system and then up to the statewide database maintained by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Bartow County Sheriff Background Check

The Bartow County Sheriff's Office is the primary agency for a Cartersville background check. Sheriff Clark Millsap leads the department. The office is at 104 Zena Drive, Cartersville, GA 30121. Call 770-382-5050 for questions about the process. The sheriff handles all criminal history requests for Bartow County, including everything in Cartersville.

Visit in person to get a check done. Bring a valid photo ID and the full name and date of birth of the person you want searched. The fee falls under the state cap of $20 set by O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34. Call first to confirm the exact fee and what payment they accept. Some sheriff's offices take cash, others want money orders. Staff will search local Bartow County records and the statewide criminal history system.

Since Cartersville is the county seat, you do not have to drive far to reach the sheriff's office. It is right in the city. Results may come back the same day or within a few business days depending on how busy the office is at the time.

Note: Cartersville is the county seat of Bartow County, so the sheriff's office is conveniently located right in the city.

Cartersville Check Process

The process for a Cartersville background check follows the standard Georgia procedure. Go to the Bartow County Sheriff's Office. Fill out a request form. Show your photo ID. Pay the fee. Staff runs the name through the county database and the state crime information system. The search pulls arrests, charges, convictions, and other criminal records tied to that name and date of birth.

Name-based checks have a known flaw. They depend on the name and date of birth being right. Common names sometimes pull records for the wrong person. This is a real problem in heavily populated areas, though less so in a smaller city like Cartersville. Still, if accuracy matters, fingerprint-based checks are better. The GAPS system through IdentoGO handles fingerprint checks. You schedule an appointment, get your prints taken, and the system checks both GBI and FBI databases.

Cartersville is located along I-75 northwest of Atlanta. People who have lived in metro Atlanta and then moved to Cartersville may have records in multiple counties. A Bartow County check will not automatically pull up records from Cobb, Cherokee, or other nearby counties. For a broader search, use the state tools or the GAPS fingerprint system.

Cartersville Background Check Resources

The Bartow County Sheriff's website has details about services available to Cartersville residents.

The Bartow County Sheriff's website provides information about background check procedures and other services offered to residents of Cartersville and the surrounding area.

State Tools for Cartersville

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs the statewide criminal history database through the Georgia Crime Information Center. All Cartersville arrest records flow from Bartow County into this central system. The GCIC holds records from all 159 Georgia counties. They do not allow the public to run name-based searches directly.

The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 per search. It works online. Enter a name, pay, and results arrive by email. It only covers felony convictions. Misdemeanors, arrests without convictions, and pending cases are excluded. For a Cartersville background check, the Felon Search is the fastest way to check for felony records statewide. But it gives you a narrow view of someone's criminal history.

GAPS fingerprint checks through IdentoGO are the most thorough. They use fingerprints to search both state and federal databases. This catches records from other states too. If someone lived elsewhere before coming to Cartersville, the fingerprint check is the only reliable way to get records from all jurisdictions in one search. Name-based tools will miss out-of-state records entirely.

Note: The Georgia Felon Search costs the same $15 whether you are checking Cartersville records or records from any other Georgia location.

Laws on Cartersville Records

Georgia law controls how a Cartersville background check works. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, the GBI shares criminal history data with authorized requesters. The fee is capped at $20 per record. This limit sets the most the Bartow County Sheriff can charge for a Cartersville check.

Record restriction matters for Cartersville background checks. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, certain records can be restricted from public view. Dismissed charges, acquittals, and cases that meet specific criteria may be hidden from standard results. A restricted record still exists in the state system but does not appear when someone runs a check. This means your results may not include every case a person has been involved in.

The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 affects what shows up too. Someone who finished a sentence under this act will not show a conviction on a standard Cartersville background check. The charge is still in the system but it appears differently. This is a common situation in Georgia courts. It is worth understanding these laws so you can read the results of a background check with the right context.

Cartersville Check Fees

• Bartow County Sheriff: up to $20, call 770-382-5050
• Georgia Felon Search: $15, online, felony convictions only
• GAPS fingerprint check: varies, state and FBI records

The Bartow County Sheriff charges under the $20 state cap. Call ahead to confirm the exact amount and ask about accepted payment methods. The Felon Search at $15 is cheaper but only pulls felony convictions. For a thorough Cartersville background check with misdemeanors and arrest records included, the in-person visit to the sheriff's office is the better choice. GAPS fingerprint checks cost more but deliver the most complete results you can get.

Contact for Cartersville Check

• Bartow County Sheriff: 104 Zena Drive, Cartersville, GA 30121
• Sheriff phone: 770-382-5050
• Sheriff: Clark Millsap

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association maintains an updated list of every sheriff in the state. For Cartersville, the Bartow County Sheriff is the main local option. The office is on Zena Drive right in Cartersville. Call before you visit to check hours and confirm what you need to bring. Having your ID and the person's full details ready will speed up the process.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Cartersville and have their own background check pages.