Rabun County Background Checks

Rabun County background check records are managed by the Sheriff's Office near Clayton, Georgia. This northeast Georgia county is in the Blue Ridge mountains, right at the borders of North Carolina and South Carolina. Rabun County falls under the Mountain Judicial Circuit. Criminal history data comes from local law enforcement files, court records held by the Clerk of Superior Court, and the statewide criminal records system operated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The sheriff's office is the main local contact for background check requests. State databases also carry Rabun County records for online access. Here is what you need to know about each option.

Rabun County Sheriff Records Services

Sheriff Mark Gerrells oversees the Rabun County Sheriff's Office at 56 Boen Creek Drive, Tiger, GA 30576. Call 706-782-3612 for questions about background checks. The office is actually located in Tiger rather than the county seat of Clayton, so keep that in mind when planning a visit. Staff run name-based criminal history searches using local records and the Georgia Crime Information Center database. Bring a valid photo ID and be ready to give your full legal name and date of birth for the search. Basic name checks usually come back the same day.

Rabun County is a mountain county with a population that swells during tourism seasons and stays smaller the rest of the year. The sheriff's office handles law enforcement for the whole county, and records work is just one part of what they do. Calling ahead to 706-782-3612 is important. You want to make sure staff are available to help with your Rabun County background check. Ask about hours and fees so you do not show up unprepared. The drive to Tiger can be long depending on where you are coming from, so one call can prevent a wasted trip.

Rabun County Court and Criminal Records

Rabun County is part of the Mountain Judicial Circuit. The Clerk of Superior Court in Clayton stores criminal case records from the superior court. Felony charges, plea agreements, trial results, and sentencing details are all part of the public record kept there. You can visit the courthouse in Clayton during regular hours to review files. Magistrate court records covering minor offenses are also maintained at the county level and can be checked separately.

Georgia law governs how criminal records are shared. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34 says individuals can request criminal history information from the GBI with a valid reason. Some records in Rabun County will not show in a standard search. Sealed cases, juvenile records, and cases handled through the First Offender Act are typically excluded from results. Under the First Offender Act, qualifying defendants can serve their sentence without a formal conviction on their record. This means that a Rabun County background check showing no history does not always tell the complete story. The search has built-in limits that apply across every county in the state.

Note that the courthouse (Clayton) and the sheriff's office (Tiger) are in different locations. Plan your trip based on which office you need to visit.

State Search Tools for Rabun County

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation holds criminal records from every one of Georgia's 159 counties. Rabun County data is part of this collection. Two statewide tools let you access these records.

The Georgia Felon Search is an online tool that costs $15 per search. It returns felony conviction records from all Georgia counties. Results are instant after you enter a name. The tool only shows felony convictions, so misdemeanors, non-conviction arrests, and pending cases will not appear. For a quick Rabun County background check looking at major crimes, this is a convenient option that does not require a trip to the mountains.

The GAPS system through IdentoGo runs fingerprint-based background checks. Fingerprints are matched against both GBI and FBI databases. This covers Georgia records and nationwide records. Processing takes 24 to 48 hours. You need to visit an IdentoGo location for fingerprinting. Finding a location in northeast Georgia may require some driving, but the results are the most thorough you can get for a Rabun County background check. The GBI services page has all the details on both tools.

The state portal above connects to the databases holding Rabun County criminal history records for online searching.

Rabun County Background Check Costs

A background check at the Rabun County Sheriff's Office is typically $15 to $25. Georgia Felon Search is $15 per name. GAPS fingerprint-based checks cost more because of processing through dual databases and the fingerprinting service. Call 706-782-3612 to confirm the current fee at the Rabun County Sheriff's Office before you visit.

Ask about accepted payment methods. Smaller offices in rural Georgia often prefer cash or money orders. The staff will let you know when you call. If you are sending a request by mail, use a money order every time. Do not mail cash for a Rabun County background check or any other request.

Mail-In Rabun County Requests

If you cannot travel to Tiger for an in-person visit, a mail request works for a Rabun County background check. Send your letter to Rabun County Sheriff's Office, 56 Boen Creek Drive, Tiger, GA 30576. Include your full name, date of birth, a copy of your photo ID, and a money order for the fee. State why you need the background check in your letter. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 requires a lawful purpose for criminal history record requests. Including your purpose helps the office handle things faster. Allow one to two weeks for the mail process from start to finish.

Contact Rabun County Sheriff

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association keeps a complete directory of county sheriffs. Here is the contact info for the Rabun County Sheriff's Office.

• Address: 56 Boen Creek Drive, Tiger, GA 30576
• Phone: 706-782-3612
• Sheriff: Mark Gerrells

Remember that the sheriff's office is in Tiger, not the county seat of Clayton. If you need court records, go to the courthouse in Clayton instead. For background check requests through the sheriff, head to Tiger. Calling ahead is the best way to avoid confusion and make sure you go to the right place for what you need.

Nearby Counties

Rabun County borders several northeast Georgia counties. Searching background records in these neighboring areas may also be useful.