Kennesaw Criminal Court Records Lookup

Criminal court records in Kennesaw are handled by the city's Municipal Court and the Cobb County Superior Court. The Kennesaw Municipal Court deals with traffic citations, city code violations, and misdemeanor criminal cases within city limits. Felony charges and more serious criminal matters go to Cobb County. Kennesaw sits in the northwest part of Cobb County and falls under the Cobb Judicial Circuit. The city's Municipal Court is at 2529 J.O. Stephenson Avenue. Public records from both courts are available under Georgia's open records laws.

Kennesaw Municipal Court

The Kennesaw Municipal Court handles cases for offenses that happen inside city limits. This includes traffic tickets, local code violations, and misdemeanor crimes. The court does not hear felony cases. If you got a ticket or were arrested for a misdemeanor in Kennesaw, your case record is at this court.

You can visit the court in person to request records. Staff will search by name or case number. Bring a valid photo ID when you come. Copy fees are set by state law at $0.10 per page. The first 15 minutes of staff search time are free. If you just need to check a court date or case status, a phone call to the clerk can get you that info fast.

Kennesaw shares Cobb County with bigger cities like Marietta and Smyrna. Each city runs its own municipal court for local offenses. But all felonies from across the county go through the same Superior Court system in Marietta.

Note: Kennesaw Municipal Court only handles cases for offenses within city limits; county-wide cases go through Cobb County courts.

Cobb County Criminal Records

Felony criminal cases from Kennesaw go to the Cobb County Superior Court. Drug charges, violent crimes, burglary, and other serious offenses are all filed here. The Cobb Judicial Circuit covers all of Cobb County. The Clerk of Superior Court keeps these records at the Cobb County Courthouse in Marietta.

Cobb County also has a State Court that handles misdemeanor cases and DUIs under state law. This gives Kennesaw residents two courts that can hear misdemeanor cases: the local Municipal Court and the county State Court. Which one gets the case depends on where and how the arrest was made. If you need to find a case but are not sure which court has it, call the Cobb County Clerk at (770) 528-1300.

The Cobb County Clerk runs an online records search portal. You can look up criminal cases by name, case number, or attorney name. The system shows case status, court dates, charges, and filing history. Criminal case data from the Cobb Judicial Circuit goes back several years in this system.

The statewide E-Access to Court Records portal also covers Kennesaw cases through the Cobb County court system. You need to make a free account to use it. The tool pulls data from courts across the state and shows charges, case status, and hearing dates.

How to Search Kennesaw Records

There are several ways to look up criminal court records in Kennesaw. Which one works best depends on what you need.

For online searches, the GSCCCA indexes court filings from all 159 Georgia counties. You can search Cobb County records through this tool. A standard account is $14.95 per month. Premium costs $29.95 per month and gives you extra features. The GSCCCA also runs the free FANS alert system. It lets you set up name alerts so you get notified when new filings show up in any county.

For your own criminal history, get a Purpose Code U report through the Kennesaw Police Department or the Cobb County Sheriff. This pulls data from the Georgia Crime Information Center. You need to give your name, date of birth, and fingerprints. The report shows arrest records, charges, and court outcomes statewide.

To search in person, visit the Kennesaw Municipal Court at 2529 J.O. Stephenson Avenue or the Cobb County Courthouse in Marietta. Bring the full name and date of birth of the person you need records for. A case number makes the search go faster. Staff can pull records while you wait at both locations.

Note: Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the copy fee is $0.10 per page at any Georgia public office, and the first 15 minutes of search time cost nothing.

Criminal Record Restrictions

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 your records if you meet certain conditions:

• The arrest did not lead to a conviction
• Charges were dismissed or not prosecuted
• A misdemeanor conviction is more than four years old
• The case sat on a dead docket for over 12 months
• You qualify under the youthful offender provisions

Two misdemeanor restrictions per lifetime is the cap. Felony restrictions are harder to get. For arrests in Kennesaw on or after July 1, 2013, contact the Cobb County District Attorney to start the process. For older cases, the Kennesaw Police Department handles the request. Agencies can charge up to $50 to process it.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, the Georgia Open Records Act requires agencies to release records unless an exemption applies. Once a restriction is granted by the court, those records become exempt from public disclosure. Anyone can request records that have not been restricted. You do not need to give a reason. You do not have to live in Georgia.

State Resources for Kennesaw

The GBI operates the state criminal history database. Call their helpline at (404) 244-2639 option 3 for questions. The GBI Open Records Unit takes requests through their online portal only. They do not accept email requests anymore.

Kennesaw is close to Marietta, the Cobb County seat, so many county-level resources are just a short drive away. The Cobb County Sheriff's office can run local record checks for people who come in with proper ID. Fees and wait times vary based on how busy the office is that day.

Nearby Cities

These cities near Kennesaw also have criminal court records resources. Each city has its own municipal court for local offenses, but felony cases go through the county where the crime took place.