Augusta Police Blotter Records

Augusta police blotter records are maintained by the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, which serves as the primary law enforcement agency for this consolidated city-county government. With a population of over 206,000, Augusta is the second-largest city in Georgia and produces a steady flow of incident reports, arrest records, and booking data each week. The Richmond County Sheriff handles all police blotter entries for the Augusta area, and Georgia's Open Records Act guarantees public access to these files. You can search Augusta crime data through local offices or use state online portals to pull specific reports.

Augusta Police Blotter Office

Augusta and Richmond County merged their governments, so the Richmond County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency for the entire area. There is no separate Augusta police department. The sheriff's office handles all police blotter records, from minor incident reports to major crime investigations. Their main office is at 400 Walton Way in Augusta. The phone number is (706) 821-1065.

The sheriff's office operates the Richmond County jail and processes all bookings for people arrested in Augusta. Booking records show the person's name, charges, arrest date, and bond information. These are part of the police blotter and are public. Deputies patrol the entire consolidated area, which covers roughly 306 square miles. That means one agency handles all the arrest records and incident reports for Augusta, making it simpler to know where to direct your request.

Walk-ins are welcome during business hours. Bring a photo ID and any case details you have.

Augusta Police Blotter Open Records

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, all public records created by the Richmond County Sheriff's Office are available to anyone. You do not need to live in Augusta or give a reason for your request. Police blotter entries, arrest logs, incident reports, and booking sheets all fall under this law. The sheriff's office must make these Augusta records available for inspection or copying when asked.

The response timeline is set by O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. Augusta's sheriff's office has three business days to respond after getting your request. Copies cost up to 10 cents per page for standard sizes. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. For most single-report requests in Augusta, the fee ends up being just a few dollars at most. If you need certified copies, expect an additional $2.00 per document on top of the page costs.

O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 does protect certain records from release. Active investigations in Augusta may be partially withheld if releasing details could hurt the case. Juvenile records are sealed. Victim information gets redacted from Augusta police blotter entries before they go public. But the basic facts of what happened, where, and when are almost always included in what you receive.

Note: Written requests create a clear paper trail and officially start the three-day clock for Augusta records.

State Police Blotter Resources for Augusta

State agencies hold records that connect to Augusta police blotter data. The EPORTS online portal lets you search for crash reports, incident reports, and citations from Georgia State Patrol troopers who work the highways in and around Augusta. Interstate 20 and several state routes pass through the area, and troopers handle many traffic incidents. Crash reports cost $5.00 through EPORTS, incident reports cost $2.00, and the first citation is free.

The GBI Records Request Center is another resource for Augusta records. If the Georgia Bureau of Investigation worked on a case in Augusta, you can file an open records request through their portal. The GBI also runs the Georgia Sex Offender Registry, which is searchable for offenders living in the Augusta area. Criminal history records through the GBI require the subject's consent under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, except for Georgia felony convictions which are public.

The Georgia Department of Corrections maintains searchable inmate records for anyone serving state time after an Augusta conviction. This covers state prison only, not the Richmond County jail.

Augusta Police Record Fees

Record fees in Augusta follow state guidelines. Standard copies from the sheriff's office cost up to 10 cents a page. Certified copies run an extra $2.00 each. The Georgia DPS fee schedule details what agencies across the state can charge for records and search time. After the first free 15 minutes, Augusta can charge the hourly rate of the lowest-paid staff member who can handle your request.

EPORTS fees for state patrol records from Augusta roads are fixed. Crash reports are $5.00. Incident reports are $2.00. Citations are free. For a typical Augusta police blotter request involving one or two reports, your total out-of-pocket cost will usually stay under $10. The sheriff's office can give you a cost estimate before they start pulling your records if you ask for one in advance.

Augusta Crime Data Tools

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association provides a statewide directory that includes contact information for the Richmond County Sheriff's Office serving Augusta. This is a good place to confirm you have the right phone number and address before sending in a request for police blotter records.

Use this directory to verify the correct contact for the Richmond County Sheriff's Office before submitting your Augusta records request.

Filing an open records request with the GBI for Augusta-related investigations is straightforward through their online portal. The system lets you describe what records you need and tracks your request through the process. Not every Augusta case involves the GBI, but when state investigators do get called in, their files may have information not found in the local police blotter.

The GBI portal tracks your request so you can check its status at any time after submitting.

Nearby Cities

These cities near Augusta also maintain police blotter records through their own agencies. If an incident took place close to a boundary, check which jurisdiction handled it before requesting records from Augusta.