Lamar County Background Check

Lamar County background check requests go through the Sheriff's Office in Barnesville. This county sits in west-central Georgia, south of the Atlanta metro area. Sheriff Brad White leads the office and the staff handles criminal history inquiries from the public. A Lamar County background check can include local arrest records, court data, and information from statewide databases managed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. You can visit the office, use a state search tool, or submit a request by mail depending on what works best for you.

Lamar County Sheriff Background Check

The Lamar County Sheriff's Office is at 121 Roberta Drive in Barnesville. Sheriff Brad White runs the department. You can call 770-358-5159 to ask about background check procedures, hours, and required documents. Walk-in visits are the standard approach for getting a local check done. Staff runs your name through local files and the Georgia Crime Information Center database. This pulls criminal history linked to Lamar County and may return statewide results too. You need a valid photo ID to get started.

Lamar County is a mid-size county that does not see the kind of traffic that metro Atlanta offices deal with. Wait times are usually reasonable. Most name-based searches finish the same day. If the search needs to go through state-level systems, it can take a few business days. Booking records from the county jail are kept at the sheriff's office as well. Staff can also tell you about any active warrants in the area.

Criminal History in Lamar County

Criminal records from Lamar County come through the courts. The county is part of a judicial circuit that processes felonies in superior court and misdemeanors in state and magistrate courts. The Clerk of Superior Court in Barnesville keeps case files. These include charges, plea deals, trial outcomes, and sentencing information. You can visit the courthouse and review the files in person. Most court documents are open to the public, though some records may be sealed or restricted under Georgia law.

Access to criminal history is governed by state statute. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, the GBI can share criminal records with the public when certain rules are met. Juvenile records are always sealed. The First Offender Act lets some individuals keep their conviction off the public record after completing their sentence. A Lamar County background check might not show cases handled under that law.

Felony records are harder to restrict and generally remain visible longer than misdemeanors.

State Search for Lamar County

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains statewide databases that include Lamar County criminal history data. You can use these tools from anywhere. The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 and shows felony convictions across all Georgia counties. Enter a name and results come back right away. It only shows felony convictions, though. Misdemeanor cases and arrests without convictions are not part of the results.

For a more complete picture, the GAPS fingerprint system through IdentoGo provides a deeper check. Fingerprint-based searches pull data from state and federal systems. They avoid the false matches that can happen when people share similar names. Results take 24 to 48 hours. Lamar County residents can find fingerprinting locations in nearby cities without much difficulty.

The GBI lists all background check options at gbi.georgia.gov/services.

The GBI portal provides access to records from Lamar County and all 159 Georgia counties through the statewide system.

Lamar County Background Check Fees

A name-based search at the Lamar County Sheriff's Office typically costs $15 to $25. Call 770-358-5159 to verify the current fee before your visit. The state felon search is $15 per query. Fingerprint checks through GAPS are more expensive because they include state and FBI databases plus a separate service fee at the fingerprinting site.

Cash and money orders are common payment options. Card payment may or may not be available. Calling ahead to check saves you a wasted trip if you do not have the right form of payment.

Mail Requests for Lamar County

If you cannot get to Barnesville, mail is another option. Send a written request to the Lamar County Sheriff's Office at 121 Roberta Drive, Barnesville, GA 30204. Your letter should include your full name, date of birth, a copy of your photo ID, and a money order for the processing fee. Do not mail cash. The office runs the check and mails the results back. Expect the total process to take a week or more because of mailing time.

Georgia law under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 governs who can get criminal records and what they can be used for. Make sure your request falls within the allowed purposes before sending it. The sheriff's office may decline requests that do not meet the legal standard.

Lamar County Sheriff Contact

Contact the Lamar County Sheriff's Office for background check questions. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory is another way to verify contact information for all Georgia sheriffs.

• Address: 121 Roberta Drive, Barnesville, GA 30204
• Phone: 770-358-5159
• Sheriff: Brad White
• Hours: Call to confirm current office hours

The sheriff's office takes care of many things beyond background checks. Calling first is the smart move so you know exactly what to bring and when to show up for your Lamar County background check.

Nearby Counties

Lamar County shares borders with several west-central Georgia counties. If you need background check data from a neighboring area, try these links.