Grady County Background Check

Grady County background check records are held by the Sheriff's Office in Cairo, the county seat near the Florida border. Sheriff Ray Maynard runs the office and oversees criminal history requests for the county. Grady County is part of the South Georgia Judicial Circuit and the local courts process cases at the courthouse in Cairo. The sheriff's office keeps arrest data, booking logs, warrant files, and jail records for the county. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation stores statewide criminal history data that also covers Grady County. Because the county borders Florida, people sometimes need records from both states. The Georgia search process follows state law regardless of how close you are to the state line.

Grady County Sheriff Background Check

The Grady County Sheriff's Office has a mailing address of PO Box 157, Cairo, GA 39828. Call 229-377-5200 to find out what you need for a background check and when the office is open. Sheriff Ray Maynard's staff runs name-based searches using local records and the Georgia Crime Information Center database. Walk-in requests are the standard approach. Bring a valid photo ID and your full name and date of birth to start the process.

Grady County is a rural county in southwest Georgia. The office tends to be less crowded than metro-area sheriff offices, so wait times are usually reasonable. A basic local check may come back the same day. If the search goes through state databases, expect a few business days. The staff can also tell you about active warrants in the county and pull booking information from the jail. Calling ahead helps you plan your visit and makes sure the office is staffed for record requests when you arrive.

Grady County Criminal Records

Criminal case records in Grady County are maintained by the Clerk of Superior Court. The South Georgia Judicial Circuit handles cases at the courthouse in Cairo. Superior court processes felonies. Magistrate court takes on misdemeanors and minor offenses. Case files include charges, plea arrangements, trial results, and sentencing data. These records are part of the public record and can be reviewed at the courthouse. The clerk's office can help you find a specific case if you have a name or case number.

Some records are not available to the public. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, the GBI can share criminal history data with private citizens under certain conditions. Juvenile records are sealed in Georgia. People who completed their sentence under the First Offender Act may have their conviction restricted from public access. A Grady County background check might not reflect every case that went through the court system here.

Ask the clerk about specific record availability.

State Search Tools for Grady County

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs statewide search tools that include Grady County records. You do not need to go to Cairo to search. The Georgia Felon Search is $15 and gives instant results on felony convictions across all 159 Georgia counties. Enter a name and the system checks for matches. This tool only covers felony convictions. Arrests, misdemeanors, and pending cases are not included in the results.

For a deeper search, the GAPS fingerprint system through IdentoGo pulls from both GBI and FBI databases. Fingerprint checks are more accurate and cover out-of-state records too. Results come back in 24 to 48 hours. Grady County residents may need to travel to find the closest IdentoGo fingerprinting location since the county is rural. The cost is higher than a name-only search, but the results are much more thorough.

The GBI services page lists all the search options available to the public.

The GBI site connects to databases that hold criminal history records from Grady County and every other county in Georgia.

Grady County Background Check Fees

A local name-based search at the Grady County Sheriff's Office usually costs between $15 and $25. Call 229-377-5200 to check the current fee. The state felon search is $15 online. Fingerprint-based checks through GAPS cost more and include the IdentoGo service fee for fingerprinting.

Cash and money orders are typically accepted at the sheriff's office. Card acceptance varies from office to office in rural Georgia, so verify what they take before you drive to Cairo. Bringing the right payment saves time and avoids frustration at the counter.

Mail Requests for Grady County

You can send a background check request by mail if you can not get to Cairo. Address your request to the Grady County Sheriff's Office at PO Box 157, Cairo, GA 39828. Include your full name, date of birth, a copy of your photo ID, and a money order for the processing fee. Never send cash. The office processes the search and mails results back to you. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, Georgia has rules about how criminal history data can be used. Your request should fall within the allowed uses or it may be turned down.

Expect mail requests to take one to two weeks, counting postal time and processing.

Grady County Contact Details

Use the information below to reach the Grady County Sheriff's Office for background check questions. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association also has a directory listing all sheriff offices in the state.

• Address: PO Box 157, Cairo, GA 39828
• Phone: 229-377-5200
• Sheriff: Ray Maynard
• Hours: Call to confirm current office hours

Grady County is in the far southwest corner of Georgia, right along the Florida state line. If you need records from both states, the Grady County Sheriff's Office can only access Georgia records. You would need to contact Florida agencies separately for records from that side of the border. For everything on the Georgia side, though, this office is the right starting point for a Grady County background check.

Nearby Counties

Grady County borders several other counties in southwest Georgia. These pages may help if your background check search extends past Grady County lines.