Brooks County Background Check

Background check records in Brooks County are handled by the Sheriff's Office in Quitman, Georgia. The county is in south Georgia near the Florida border and falls under the Southern Judicial Circuit. A Brooks County background check covers arrest records, warrant data, booking logs, and court case outcomes from the local justice system. Criminal history from Brooks County also feeds into the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's statewide database. You can search these records by visiting the sheriff's office, sending a mail request, or using online state tools. This guide explains each option so you can pick the one that fits your needs.

Brooks County Sheriff Background Check Services

Sheriff Mike Dewey heads the Brooks County Sheriff's Office at 1004 Holloway Drive, Quitman, GA 31643. The phone number is 229-263-9323. The office runs name-based criminal history searches for individuals who request a Brooks County background check. Staff check local records and query the Georgia Crime Information Center for statewide data. You need a valid photo ID and your full legal name and date of birth to submit a request.

Most people get a Brooks County background check by walking into the sheriff's office in Quitman. The town is small, and wait times tend to be reasonable. A simple name search may come back the same day. More involved searches that require state database verification can take a few business days. The sheriff's office juggles background check requests with other law enforcement duties, so the speed of results can vary. Calling 229-263-9323 before your visit lets you know what to expect and what documents to have ready.

Recent arrest records and booking data from the Brooks County jail are also accessible through the sheriff's office.

Brooks County Criminal History Records

Brooks County is part of the Southern Judicial Circuit. Criminal cases heard in the superior court become public records stored by the Brooks County Clerk of Superior Court. The clerk's office in Quitman holds indictments, plea agreements, trial verdicts, and sentencing orders. You can go to the courthouse and ask to review these files. Magistrate court records for minor offenses are kept separately at the county level.

Access to criminal history in Brooks County follows Georgia law. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, the GBI can release criminal history data to private citizens under certain conditions. Not all records are open. Sealed cases and juvenile files stay hidden from standard searches. Georgia's First Offender Act allows some defendants to avoid a public conviction on their record after finishing their sentence. This law can affect what shows up in a Brooks County background check. If a case was resolved under the First Offender Act, it may not appear in your search results.

State Tools for Brooks County Background Checks

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation holds criminal records from all 159 Georgia counties in its central system. Brooks County data is part of this collection. Two main tools offer ways to search without going to Quitman.

The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 per name search. It checks for felony convictions across the entire state. Brooks County felony records will appear if there is a match. Results are immediate. Only felony convictions show up. Misdemeanors, arrests without conviction, and pending cases are excluded. This tool is good for a fast Brooks County background check when you are mainly interested in serious criminal history.

The GAPS fingerprint check through IdentoGo is more complete. Fingerprints go through both GBI and FBI databases. This pulls records from Georgia and nationwide. Processing takes 24 to 48 hours. You have to visit an IdentoGo site to be fingerprinted. Brooks County residents may need to drive to Valdosta in Lowndes County for the nearest location. The fee is higher than the online search, but the accuracy and range of a fingerprint-based Brooks County background check are much stronger.

Details on each option are at gbi.georgia.gov/services.

Brooks County criminal history is stored in this GBI statewide system alongside data from every other Georgia county.

Brooks County Background Check Costs

The fee for a background check at the Brooks County Sheriff's Office is between $15 and $25. The state felon search charges $15. GAPS fingerprint checks are priced higher. Call 229-263-9323 to find out the current exact fee before making a request at the Brooks County office.

Cash and money orders are the standard forms of payment at rural Georgia sheriff's offices. Brooks County may or may not take cards. Always call to confirm. For mail requests, use a money order payable to the Brooks County Sheriff's Office. Do not mail cash.

Note: Fees at the Brooks County Sheriff's Office can change, so verify the amount before submitting a background check request.

Mail-In Brooks County Background Checks

A mail request works if you cannot visit Quitman in person. Write to the Brooks County Sheriff's Office at 1004 Holloway Drive, Quitman, GA 31643. Include your full name, date of birth, a photocopy of your photo ID, and a money order for the processing fee. State why you need the background check. Georgia law under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 requires a lawful purpose for requesting criminal records. The sheriff's office will process the request and return the results by mail. Expect the entire process to take one to two weeks.

Contact Brooks County Sheriff

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory can help you confirm current contact details for the Brooks County Sheriff's Office. Here is the key information for background check requests.

• Address: 1004 Holloway Drive, Quitman, GA 31643
• Phone: 229-263-9323
• Sheriff: Mike Dewey

Brooks County is close to Lowndes County and the city of Valdosta. People living in the area may find more resources there. For Brooks County records specifically, the sheriff's office in Quitman is where to go. A quick call to the office can answer most of your questions about the Brooks County background check process before you make the trip.

Nearby Counties

Brooks County borders these south Georgia counties. Each has its own sheriff's office that processes background check requests separately.