Wilkinson County Background Check

Wilkinson County background check records are handled by the sheriff's office in Irwinton. The county sits in central Georgia and is part of a judicial circuit that covers several rural counties in the region. You can get a background check done through the Wilkinson County Sheriff's Office or use state-level tools run by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Criminal history data for Wilkinson County flows into the statewide system managed by the Georgia Crime Information Center. This page covers how to request a Wilkinson County background check, what fees to expect, and which agencies can help.

Wilkinson County Sheriff Background Check

The Wilkinson County Sheriff's Office is the main place to get a local background check. Sheriff Richard Chatman runs the office. The mailing address is PO Box 178, Irwinton, GA 31042. You can call them at 478-946-2411. Walk-in requests are the most common way to start a background check in Wilkinson County. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID when you go. A Social Security card will not work as your main ID. The staff will need your full name, date of birth, and Social Security number to run the check through local and state records.

The sheriff's office pulls records from the Georgia Crime Information Center database. This shows arrest data, charges, and court outcomes tied to Wilkinson County. Results from a name-based check can come back the same day in some cases. Busier periods may add a day or two. The fee for a background check in Wilkinson County should not go over $20 per person, as set by Georgia law under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34. Call ahead to ask about accepted payment forms since smaller offices sometimes have limited options.

The sheriff's office also handles warrant checks and can tell you if someone has an active warrant in the county.

State Resources for Wilkinson County

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs the statewide criminal history system. Every arrest and conviction in Wilkinson County gets reported to the GBI through the Georgia Crime Information Center. You can access this data without going to Irwinton. The Georgia Felon Search tool costs $15 per search and gives instant results by email. It covers felony convictions across all 159 Georgia counties, including Wilkinson. Only felony convictions show up. Misdemeanors, pending cases, and arrests without convictions will not appear in a felon search.

For a more thorough Wilkinson County background check, the GAPS fingerprint system through IdentoGO is the best option. Fingerprint-based checks pull from both state and federal databases. Results come back in 24 to 48 hours after you get fingerprinted at an IdentoGO location. The cost is higher than a name-based check, but you get a much more complete picture. The nearest IdentoGO site may be in a neighboring city since Wilkinson County is rural.

Note: GCIC does not do name-based checks directly, so you must go through the local sheriff or police department for that type of search.

Wilkinson County Criminal Records

Criminal records in Wilkinson County include arrests, charges, and case outcomes from the local court system. The superior court handles felony cases. State court and magistrate court deal with misdemeanors and lower-level matters. All of these feed into the public record. The clerk of superior court keeps case files that are open to the public. You can visit the courthouse in Irwinton to look at dockets and read case documents in person.

Georgia law gives people the right to check their own criminal history. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, you can apply to review your record for up to $15 (not counting fingerprint costs). If you find errors, the law sets out a process to get them fixed. The agency that entered the wrong data has 60 days to respond to a correction request. You can go to court if they refuse to act or if their answer is not good enough.

Record Restriction in Wilkinson County

Georgia used to call it expungement. Now it is called record restriction. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, certain arrest records can be restricted from public view. This means the data stays in the system but only law enforcement and criminal justice agencies can see it. Private citizens and businesses will not find restricted records in a Wilkinson County background check.

Automatic restriction can happen when charges were never sent to the prosecutor and enough time has passed. Two years for misdemeanors. Four years for most felonies. Seven years for serious violent felonies and sex crimes with victims under 16. Charges that were dismissed or that got two grand jury no bills can also be restricted. You can also petition to restrict up to two misdemeanor convictions per lifetime if you meet the conditions. No pending charges. No convictions in the last four years. The offense cannot be on the excluded list, which includes family violence crimes and certain sex offenses.

First Offender Act and Wilkinson County

The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 lets some people avoid a formal conviction on their record. If a judge sentences someone under this law, the person completes probation or confinement and then gets discharged without a conviction. A Wilkinson County background check will not show a completed first offender sentence. The record gets sealed once the terms are met.

This matters for anyone checking someone else's background. You may not see a prior offense that was handled through the First Offender Act. The Georgia Felon Search tool will also skip these records. Only law enforcement can access them. If someone was eligible at sentencing but did not get first offender status, Georgia law allows retroactive application under O.C.G.A. § 42-8-66.

Wilkinson County Background Check Fees

The exact fee at the Wilkinson County Sheriff's Office can vary. Georgia law caps the charge at $20 per person for criminal history requests under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34. The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 per search, even if the result comes back with no record found. Record inspection through GCIC costs up to $15 plus fingerprinting. Fingerprint-based GAPS checks through IdentoGO have their own fee schedule that includes a service charge at the fingerprint site.

• Sheriff background check: up to $20
• Georgia Felon Search: $15 per search
• GCIC record inspection: up to $15
• Record restriction: up to $50
• GAPS fingerprint check: varies by location

Call the sheriff's office at 478-946-2411 to confirm current fees and accepted payment methods before you visit.

Wilkinson County Sheriff Contact

Reach the Wilkinson County Sheriff's Office for background check questions or to schedule a visit. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association also keeps a full directory of all 159 county sheriffs.

• Sheriff: Richard Chatman
• Address: PO Box 178, Irwinton, GA 31042
• Phone: 478-946-2411

Wilkinson County is a small county, so the office may have limited hours. Calling ahead is a good idea to make sure someone is available to process your request.

This screenshot shows the GBI services page where you can find details on criminal history checks, fingerprinting, and record restriction for Wilkinson County.

Nearby Counties

Wilkinson County shares borders with several central Georgia counties. If your search goes beyond Wilkinson County, these nearby pages may help.