Lowndes County Police Blotter Search
Lowndes County police blotter records capture arrest data, incident reports, and crime activity across the largest county in south Georgia. Sheriff Ashley Paulk heads the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office in Valdosta, which is also the county seat and the region's biggest city. You can search police blotter entries through the sheriff's office, the Valdosta Police Department, or state-level online databases that include Lowndes County. Georgia's Open Records Act gives you legal access to these files, and the area generates a high volume of reports because of its size and position near the Florida state line.
Lowndes County Quick Facts
Lowndes County Police Blotter Office
The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office is the main source for police blotter records outside the Valdosta city limits. Sheriff Ashley Paulk operates from PO Box 667 in Valdosta. The phone number is (229) 671-2900. Deputies patrol the unincorporated parts of Lowndes County and handle all arrests, incident reports, and crime records in those areas. The office also runs the Lowndes County jail, where all local bookings are processed no matter which agency made the arrest.
Lowndes County sits at the southern tip of Georgia along Interstate 75, just north of the Florida border. Valdosta is the population center. The county sees a good amount of traffic from I-75 travelers, which creates more law enforcement contact than you might expect. The Valdosta Police Department covers incidents inside city limits and keeps its own set of police blotter records. If you are not sure which agency handled a particular incident in Lowndes County, start with the sheriff's office. They can check their system and guide you to the right place.
Visit during business hours for in-person requests. Bring ID.
| Office | Lowndes County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | PO Box 667, Valdosta, GA 31603 |
| Phone | (229) 671-2900 |
| Sheriff | Ashley Paulk |
Lowndes County Police Blotter Requests
Georgia's Open Records Act makes it possible for anyone to get police blotter records from Lowndes County agencies. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 defines public records broadly. Arrest reports, booking sheets, and incident logs from the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office all qualify. You do not need to live in Lowndes County. You do not need a reason. The law applies to everyone.
After you submit a request, the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office must respond within three business days under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. Standard copies cost up to 10 cents per page. The first quarter hour of search time is free. After that, the agency can charge at the rate of the lowest-paid worker who can handle the task. For a single police blotter entry from Lowndes County, the total cost tends to stay low. Put your request in writing so there is a clear record and the three-day clock starts running.
Certain exemptions exist. Active investigations and pending cases in Lowndes County may be partially withheld under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72. Confidential source identities stay sealed. But the initial incident report, the core police blotter entry, is almost always public.
Note: The same open records rules apply to the Valdosta Police Department for incidents that happened within city limits in Lowndes County.
State Patrol Police Blotter in Lowndes County
Georgia State Patrol troopers generate their own police blotter records on state roads in Lowndes County. Interstate 75 cuts through the county, and troopers are busy on that stretch. Their reports do not go through the sheriff's office or the Valdosta PD. They are filed separately with the Department of Public Safety.
The EPORTS online system is how you get those reports. Crash reports cost $5.00 each. Incident reports are $2.00. Your first citation is free. Reports come through within three to five business days. For a crash or traffic stop on I-75 in Lowndes County, EPORTS lets you submit, pay, and download from home. It is faster than calling around trying to find the right office for Lowndes County state patrol records.
Access the EPORTS portal for Lowndes County state patrol reports.
State patrol records are filed separately from Lowndes County sheriff and Valdosta police records.
Lowndes County Police Blotter Data
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation supports Lowndes County law enforcement with major investigations, lab services, and statewide data collection. The GBI Records Request Center takes open records requests for any case files the agency holds on Lowndes County matters. The GBI also receives monthly crime reports from both the sheriff's office and the Valdosta Police Department.
Criminal history checks have their own rules. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34 requires the subject's consent to pull their record, unless you are only looking at Georgia felony convictions which are public. The Georgia Sex Offender Registry is searchable at no charge. You can look up registered offenders in Lowndes County any time. If you have a tip about criminal activity, use the GBI online tip form to report it.
Lowndes County Offender Search
People serving state prison time after a Lowndes County conviction show up in the Georgia Department of Corrections offender search. Photos appear when available. Search by name. This covers state prisons only. It does not include the Lowndes County jail or any federal facility.
For people currently in the Lowndes County jail, call (229) 671-2900. The sheriff's office can confirm custody status and charges. Booking information is part of the police blotter and public under Georgia law. A name and approximate date help staff locate records faster in a busy county like Lowndes.
Lowndes County Record Fees
Police blotter record fees in Lowndes County follow the state standards. Copies cost up to 10 cents per page. Certified copies add $2.00 to the base cost. The DPS fee schedule shows what any Georgia agency can charge for records searches and copies.
EPORTS charges apply to state patrol records. Crash reports from Lowndes County highways cost $5.00. Incident reports are $2.00. The first citation is free. The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office and the Valdosta Police Department may each have their own copy rates, so call the specific agency before you visit. The first 15 minutes of search time are free at all agencies in Lowndes County.
Reading Lowndes County Police Reports
A police blotter entry from Lowndes County shows the date, time, and location. It gives a summary of what happened. Arrest reports include the person's name, charges, and the officer who made the arrest. A case number ties related documents together for tracking.
Redaction rules apply before police reports go public in Lowndes County. Phone numbers are removed. The day and month of birth get taken out. Medical details are stripped. The year of birth stays. Addresses may be partially redacted in some cases. If you are a party to the case, you can often get a more complete copy. Lawyers on related matters in Lowndes County may also request less-redacted versions under certain conditions. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory helps verify contact information for the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office.
This DPS fee schedule shows what agencies across Georgia, including those in Lowndes County, can charge for open records requests.
Cities in Lowndes County
Lowndes County includes the city of Valdosta, which has its own police department and maintains separate police blotter records. For incidents inside Valdosta city limits, contact the Valdosta Police Department. For anything in unincorporated Lowndes County, the sheriff's office is the right place to go.
Other communities in Lowndes County include Hahira, Lake Park, Remerton, and Dasher. All people booked into the Lowndes County jail go through the sheriff's office system regardless of which city they were arrested in.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Lowndes County. If an incident took place near a county line, the report could be with a neighboring sheriff's office. Confirm the exact location before you request records.