Find Criminal Court Records in Duluth

Criminal court records in Duluth are kept by two main courts. The Duluth Municipal Court deals with city code violations, traffic cases, and some misdemeanor crimes that take place inside the city limits. Felony cases and more serious crimes go to the Gwinnett County Superior Court in Lawrenceville. The municipal court sits at 3276 Buford Highway in Duluth. Because Duluth is in Gwinnett County, all felony case files and most serious criminal matters are handled at the county level. Both the city and county courts make records available to the public under Georgia's open records law, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70.

Duluth Municipal Court Records

The Duluth Municipal Court handles traffic tickets, city ordinance violations, and misdemeanor criminal cases inside the Duluth city limits. This court does not hear felony cases. If you were cited or arrested for a misdemeanor in Duluth, your case file is at this court. The court staff can look up your case by name or case number during business hours.

The court is at 3276 Buford Highway, Duluth, GA 30096. You can call (770) 476-3434 for case info. Walk-in requests are taken on weekdays. Bring a valid photo ID if you plan to visit in person. The clerk can give you copies of case records, including disposition letters, court dates, and payment history. Most requests are filled the same day.

Note: Duluth Municipal Court does not handle felony cases or serious criminal charges, which go through Gwinnett County Superior Court.

Gwinnett County Criminal Records

Felony criminal cases in Duluth go to the Gwinnett County Superior Court. This includes drug trafficking, armed robbery, murder, and other serious offenses. The Gwinnett Judicial Circuit covers the whole county. The Gwinnett County Clerk of Superior Court keeps these records at the courthouse in Lawrenceville.

Gwinnett County runs an online case search where you can look up criminal case files by defendant name or case number. The system shows charges, court dates, case status, and filing history. Criminal case data goes back many years. This is one of the fastest ways to find felony records tied to Duluth addresses without making a trip to the courthouse.

The Gwinnett County Solicitor General handles misdemeanor cases that go beyond the municipal court level. State court in Gwinnett also processes some criminal matters. If a case started in Duluth Municipal Court but was bound over to a higher court, you may need to search the county system to find it. This happens sometimes with DUI cases or repeat offenders where the charges get more serious.

The statewide E-Access to Court Records portal also pulls in case data from Gwinnett County courts. You need a free account to use it. Once set up, you can search across all Georgia courts at the same time.

How to Search Duluth Records

There are a few ways to look up criminal court records tied to Duluth. The method you choose depends on the type of record and how fast you need it.

The GSCCCA indexes court filings from all 159 Georgia counties. You can search for Gwinnett County records through this tool. A regular account is $14.95 per month. The GSCCCA also runs the free FANS alert system, which lets you track new filings by name across any county.

For your own criminal history, you can get a Purpose Code U report. This pulls data from the Georgia Crime Information Center and shows arrest records, charges, and court outcomes from across the state. You need to provide your name, date of birth, and fingerprints. The GBI Criminal History helpline at (404) 244-2639 can walk you through the steps.

To search in person, visit the Municipal Court on Buford Highway or the Gwinnett County Courthouse in Lawrenceville. Bring the full name and date of birth of the person. A case number helps speed things up. Clerk staff at both spots can pull records while you wait.

Note: Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, copy fees are $0.10 per page at any Georgia public office, and the first 15 minutes of search time are free.

Criminal Record Restrictions in Duluth

Georgia allows certain criminal records to be restricted from public view. This used to be called expungement. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, you may be able to restrict records for arrests that did not lead to a conviction, some misdemeanor convictions after four years, and cases that sat on a dead docket for more than 12 months. There is a lifetime cap of two misdemeanor restrictions.

For arrests in the Duluth area, contact the Gwinnett County District Attorney to start the restriction process. Agencies can charge up to $50 to process each request. Once the court grants the petition, restricted records are pulled from public view. This means they will not show up in most standard searches. However, law enforcement can still see them.

If your case was in Duluth Municipal Court, you may also need to contact the court clerk to make sure the local records are updated after a restriction order is granted. This step is easy to miss. Call (770) 476-3434 and ask about the status of your restriction.

State Resources for Duluth Records

The GBI runs the state criminal history database. Call the Criminal History Records Helpline at (404) 244-2639 option 3 for questions about your record. The GBI Open Records Unit takes requests through their online portal only. They stopped taking email requests in December 2023.

The Georgia Open Records Act, codified at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, gives the public broad access to government records. This includes criminal court files at both the city and county level. Agencies must respond within three business days. If they need more time, they must tell you why. You can file a complaint with the Georgia Attorney General if an agency refuses to provide records without a valid legal reason.

Duluth residents can also use the Gwinnett County Law Library for help with legal research. It has forms for record restriction petitions, open records request templates, and other tools. The library is open to the public at no cost.

Nearby Cities

These cities near Duluth also have criminal court records resources. Each city runs its own municipal court, but felony cases go through the county where the offense took place.