Access Gainesville Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records in Gainesville are held by the city municipal court and the Hall County court system. The Gainesville Municipal Court takes care of traffic cases, city ordinance violations, and misdemeanor crimes within city limits. Felony cases and more serious criminal matters go to the Hall County Superior Court in the Northeastern Judicial Circuit. Gainesville is the county seat of Hall County, located about an hour north of Atlanta near Lake Lanier. Both courts release public records under the Georgia Open Records Act. The Municipal Court operates from 701 Queen City Parkway.

Gainesville Municipal Court Records

The Gainesville Municipal Court handles traffic tickets, city code violations, and misdemeanor criminal cases under city jurisdiction. The court processes a steady flow of cases each year, covering everything from minor traffic offenses to misdemeanor arrests made by the Gainesville Police Department. If you got a citation or were arrested for a misdemeanor in Gainesville, this court holds the file.

The court sits at 701 Queen City Parkway, Gainesville, GA 30501. Call (770) 531-2668 for case info. Walk-in requests are accepted during normal business hours. Staff can look up your case by name or citation number. A photo ID is needed for in-person visits. The clerk can print copies of case documents right there, and charges apply at the state copy rate.

Note: Gainesville Municipal Court does not handle felony cases, which are processed through the Hall County Superior Court.

Hall County Criminal Court Records

Felony criminal cases from Gainesville are filed in Hall County Superior Court. The Northeastern Judicial Circuit covers Hall County along with Dawson and Lumpkin counties. Drug charges, violent crimes, burglary, and other serious offenses all go through this court. The Hall County Clerk of Superior Court maintains these files at the courthouse in Gainesville.

Since Gainesville is the county seat, the superior court and the municipal court are both right in town. That makes checking both sets of records easy. The Hall County Courthouse is on Green Street in downtown Gainesville. The Clerk of Superior Court can pull up felony case records, indictments, plea deals, and sentencing orders. Give the clerk a defendant name or case number and they can find what you need.

Hall County has a State Court as well. This court handles misdemeanor criminal cases at the county level. Some misdemeanor cases that begin in the Gainesville Municipal Court may end up being transferred to the Hall County State Court. If a case gets bound over from the municipal level, it moves to this court. The State Court clerk can search those records for you.

The statewide E-Access to Court Records portal lets you search for Gainesville-area criminal cases online. It pulls data from courts across Georgia, including Hall County. You need a free account before you can search.

How to Search Gainesville Records

There are multiple ways to find criminal court records for Gainesville cases. What works best depends on the type of record and how soon you need it.

The GSCCCA indexes court filings from every county in Georgia. You can search Hall County records through this statewide tool. A basic account is $14.95 per month. Premium runs $29.95. The GSCCCA also has the FANS alert system at no cost. FANS will send you a notice when new filings appear under a name you set up, and it works across all 159 counties.

For your own criminal history record, visit the Gainesville Police Department or the Hall County Sheriff's Office and ask for a Purpose Code U report. The report pulls from the Georgia Crime Information Center. It shows arrests, charges, and case outcomes across the entire state. You will need to provide your name, date of birth, and fingerprints to get it.

In-person lookups are also an option. Visit the Municipal Court on Queen City Parkway or the Hall County Courthouse on Green Street. Bring the full name and date of birth of the person you need records for. A case number speeds things up a lot. Clerk staff at both courts can usually pull records while you wait.

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

Gainesville Record Restriction Info

Georgia law allows some criminal records to be restricted from public view. This was called expungement in the past. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, you may be able to restrict records for arrests that did not lead to a conviction, certain misdemeanor convictions after four years have passed, and cases on a dead docket for over 12 months. You can restrict up to two misdemeanors in your lifetime under this law.

For Gainesville arrests on or after July 1, 2013, reach out to the Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office to begin the process. For arrests before that date, contact the Gainesville Police Department. Agencies may charge up to $50 for processing. Once the court grants the restriction, the record is pulled from public access under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72.

Trafficking victims can get free record restriction under the Survivors First Act. No fee applies to this type. Talk to a local attorney or call the GBI for more on how to file.

State Resources for Gainesville

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

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, the Georgia Open Records Act gives everyone the right to request records from any public agency. Courts, police, and county offices all fall under this law. If a Gainesville agency denies your request, they have to cite the exact exemption. You can dispute a denial through the Attorney General's office or file a civil action in superior court if needed.

Hall County is part of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit, which also includes Dawson and Lumpkin counties. If a person has cases in more than one county in the circuit, the records will be in each county's clerk's office. The GSCCCA search tool is the fastest way to check across multiple counties at once. For local help, the Hall County law library at the courthouse has staff who can point you to the right office or resource for your search.

Nearby Cities

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