Kennesaw Background Check Search

A Kennesaw background check pulls records from both the city police department and the Cobb County Sheriff's Office. Kennesaw sits in Cobb County, so the county sheriff is the main source for criminal history data. The Kennesaw Police Department also runs its own checks at a lower fee. Both agencies need a valid photo ID and payment before they will start a search. With a population just under 38,000, Kennesaw is one of the larger cities in Cobb County. Records flow from local arrests into the county system and then up to the state crime database run by the GBI.

Cobb County Sheriff Background Check

The Cobb County Sheriff's Office is the primary agency for a Kennesaw background check at the county level. Sheriff Craig Owens runs the office at 185 Roswell Street in Marietta. The fee is $25. Cash is not accepted at the sheriff's office. You must pay with a money order or cashier's check. This catches people off guard, so plan for it before you go. Bring a valid photo ID along with your payment. The sheriff's staff will run the name through local Cobb County files and the state criminal history system managed by the Georgia Crime Information Center.

Cobb County is large. It covers Kennesaw, Marietta, Acworth, Powder Springs, and Smyrna along with the unincorporated areas between them. All arrest records from any Cobb County law enforcement agency end up in the county system. That means a check at the sheriff's office can turn up records from Kennesaw Police, Marietta Police, or any other city police force in the county. The search covers the full county, not just one city. This makes the sheriff's office a solid starting point if you want broad coverage for a Kennesaw background check.

Note: The Cobb County Sheriff's Office does not accept cash for the $25 background check fee, so bring a money order or cashier's check.

Kennesaw Police Background Check

The Kennesaw Police Department also processes background checks. The fee is $20, which is lower than the county sheriff. Payment at the police department must be by money order. You will need a valid photo ID. The Kennesaw police check covers records held by the city department. It can also pull from the state system. If you only need to check records tied to Kennesaw specifically, the city police can handle that. The process is straightforward. Walk in, give them the name and date of birth, pay the fee, and wait for results.

There is a practical difference between the two options. The sheriff's office covers the whole county. The city police department focuses on its own jurisdiction but still has access to the state database. If you are checking someone who has lived in different parts of Cobb County, the sheriff's office gives you wider local coverage. If the person has only lived in Kennesaw, either option works fine. The state database will be the same either way. The $5 price difference may matter if you are running several checks.

Kennesaw Background Check Fees

Kennesaw has two local options with different fee structures. Both fall under the state cap set by O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, which limits the fee to $20 for most agencies. Cobb County charges $25, which may include extra administrative costs. The state Felon Search tool is a third option at $15 but only covers felony convictions. Here is a breakdown of what each costs and what it covers for a Kennesaw background check.

• Cobb County Sheriff: $25, money order or cashier's check only
• Kennesaw Police: $20, money order only
• Georgia Felon Search: $15, online, felony convictions only
• GAPS fingerprint check: varies by location, covers state and FBI records

The Georgia Felon Search website gives instant results by email. It costs $15 per search. But it only shows felony convictions. It will not show misdemeanor records, pending cases, or arrest data from Kennesaw or anywhere else in Georgia. For a more complete picture, the local agencies are better. The GAPS fingerprint system through IdentoGO is the most thorough option. It pulls from both GBI and FBI databases and picks up out-of-state records too.

Note: Georgia Felon Search results arrive by email almost instantly, but the tool only shows felony conviction records.

Georgia Law and Kennesaw Records

Georgia law governs how background checks work in Kennesaw and every other city in the state. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation manages the statewide criminal history system through its Georgia Crime Information Center. All Kennesaw arrest records feed into this central system. However, the GCIC does not offer name-based searches directly to the public. You have to go through a local agency like the Cobb County Sheriff or the Kennesaw Police Department to run a name-based Kennesaw background check.

Record restriction under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 affects what shows up in a Kennesaw background check. Some records can be sealed from public view. This happens when charges are dismissed, when a case ends in acquittal, or when someone meets other criteria under the law. A restricted record will not appear in a standard background check. The person still has a record in the system, but it is hidden from most searches. This is different from expungement, which removes the record entirely.

The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 is another factor. If someone in Kennesaw completed a sentence under this act, the conviction does not show as a conviction on a background check. It still exists in the system but appears differently. First offender status is common across Georgia, and it affects how results look when you run a check. Not every record tells the full story, and this is one reason why.

Kennesaw Background Check Image

The Cobb County Police background check page shows the process for requesting records in the Kennesaw area.

Cobb County Police and the sheriff's office both serve Kennesaw residents who need a background check processed through local channels.

How to Run a Kennesaw Check

Running a Kennesaw background check is a simple process, but you need to pick the right agency and bring the right payment. Start by deciding if you want the county-level check or the city-level check. The county check at the Cobb County Sheriff's Office costs $25 and covers the whole county. The city check at Kennesaw Police costs $20. Both need a valid photo ID and the full name and date of birth of the person you want to search. Walk-in service is available at both locations during business hours.

If you want to check from home, the Georgia Felon Search tool works online. Go to the website, enter the name, pay $15, and get results by email. This only shows felony convictions though. For a full criminal history including misdemeanors and arrests, you need to visit a local agency in person. There is no way to get a complete Kennesaw background check from a name-based search without going through a local office or using the fingerprint system.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory lists contact information for every sheriff in the state. This is helpful if you need to check records in multiple counties beyond just Cobb. Each county runs its own background check process with its own fees and payment rules.

Note: A valid photo ID is required at both the Cobb County Sheriff's Office and the Kennesaw Police Department before they will process a background check.

Kennesaw Contact Details

Here is the contact information for the agencies that handle a Kennesaw background check. The Cobb County Sheriff's Office is in Marietta, which is the county seat. The Kennesaw Police Department is in the city itself. Both are open during regular business hours on weekdays. Call ahead to confirm hours if you plan to visit, since holiday schedules and staffing changes can affect availability.

• Cobb County Sheriff: 185 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA 30090, 770-499-4611
• Kennesaw Police Department: kennesaw-ga.gov/police
• Georgia Felon Search: felonsearch.ga.gov, $15 per search
• GBI FAQ: gbi.georgia.gov/services/obtaining-criminal-history-record-information-frequently-asked-questions

For questions about the Kennesaw background check process, call the sheriff's office at 770-499-4611. They can walk you through what you need to bring and how long the process takes. The Kennesaw Police Department is another option for local questions. Both agencies deal with background check requests on a regular basis and can answer most questions over the phone before you come in.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Kennesaw and have their own background check resources.