Savannah Background Check Lookup

Savannah background check records come from Chatham County agencies and the Savannah police. Sheriff Richard Coleman runs the Chatham County Sheriff's Office from PO Box 10026 in Savannah. The Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department keeps its own set of records from cases handled by city officers. A Savannah background check draws from these local sources plus statewide databases maintained by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. With nearly 149,000 residents, Savannah is one of Georgia's larger cities and generates a steady stream of criminal record requests.

Chatham County Sheriff Background Check

The Chatham County Sheriff's Office handles most Savannah background check requests. Sheriff Richard Coleman oversees the office at PO Box 10026, Savannah, GA 31412. Call 912-652-3634 for background check questions. The sheriff's office processes name-based criminal history searches using local records and the statewide database. Bring a valid photo ID when you visit. Provide the full legal name and date of birth of the person you want to check. Georgia law caps background check fees at $20 under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34.

Processing time depends on how busy the office is. Savannah sees a lot of activity as a major coastal city. During peak times, expect results to take a few business days. The sheriff's office handles the search and gives you a printout or letter with the results. If no record is found, they will tell you that too. A clean result means no hits came up in the local or state databases under that name and date of birth.

Note: The Chatham County Sheriff's Office serves all of Savannah and the surrounding unincorporated areas of the county.

Savannah Police Records

The Savannah Police Department is at 601 E. Lathrop Avenue, Savannah, GA 31415. The non-emergency line is 912-651-6675. For records specifically, call 912-651-4800. The police department maintains its own files for arrests and incidents that Savannah officers handled. These records sit with the police department, not the sheriff. For a complete Savannah background check, you may want to check both agencies.

The police department processes records requests separately from the sheriff's office. If a Savannah police officer made an arrest, that record goes into the police department's system. If a Chatham County deputy made the arrest, it goes to the sheriff. Both agencies report to the Georgia Crime Information Center, which feeds the statewide database. But at the local level, the records are stored in different places depending on which agency was involved.

Savannah Background Check Image

The GBI services page shows the range of background check tools available at the state level for Savannah residents.

State-level search tools from the GBI supplement local records available through the Chatham County Sheriff and Savannah Police Department.

State Tools for Savannah

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs the criminal history database that includes all Savannah and Chatham County records. You do not go to the GBI directly for a name check. Instead, use the tools they provide. The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 and returns felony conviction results by email right away. This is the fastest way to check for felony convictions tied to someone in Savannah. It will not show arrests, pending cases, or misdemeanor charges.

For a deeper Savannah background check, the GAPS fingerprint system through IdentoGO pulls from both GBI and FBI databases. Fingerprint checks are more accurate than name checks. They avoid mix-ups with common names. They also catch out-of-state records. IdentoGO has locations in the Savannah area. Visit any participating site, get your fingerprints scanned, and the results go through the GAPS system. Turnaround is usually 24 to 48 hours.

Savannah Background Check Law

Georgia law applies to all background checks in Savannah. The O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34 statute authorizes the GBI to share criminal history data and caps the fee at $20. This protects you from being overcharged at local agencies. It also sets the rules for who can access certain types of criminal history records.

Record restriction under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 lets people remove certain arrest records from public view. If charges were dropped or the case was dismissed, the person may qualify for restriction. Once granted, the record will not appear on a standard Savannah background check. The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 provides similar protection. Someone who completed their sentence under this act will not have a conviction show up in the normal way. The case still exists in the system but is flagged so it does not read as a standard conviction.

Note: Restricted records and First Offender cases still exist in the system but will not appear on most standard Savannah background checks.

Savannah Contact Details

• Chatham County Sheriff: PO Box 10026, Savannah, GA 31412
• Sheriff Phone: 912-652-3634
• Sheriff: Richard Coleman
• Savannah Police: 601 E. Lathrop Avenue, Savannah, GA 31415
• Police Non-Emergency: 912-651-6675
• Police Records: 912-651-4800
• Georgia Sheriffs Directory: georgiasheriffs.org

For a Savannah background check, the Chatham County Sheriff's Office is the best place to start. Call ahead to confirm hours and payment methods. The police records line at 912-651-4800 is the right number for specific incident reports from Savannah Police cases. Use the Georgia Felon Search for a quick online check of felony convictions.

Nearby Cities

Pooler is the closest major city to Savannah, also located in Chatham County.