Fannin County Criminal Records

Fannin County criminal court records are maintained by the Clerk of Superior Court at the courthouse in Blue Ridge. Located in the north Georgia mountains near the Tennessee border, Fannin County handles felony and misdemeanor cases through its Superior Court and State Court systems. The clerk office on Main Street stores all criminal case files and can help you search for records, check court dates, and get copies of case documents. You can visit in person at the Blue Ridge courthouse or use Georgia's statewide online tools to look up criminal records from home. Staff at the clerk office assist with walk-in requests during regular business hours.

Fannin County Clerk of Court

The Clerk of Superior Court in Fannin County handles all criminal court records that pass through the county court system. The office is at 400 W. Main Street in Blue Ridge. You can call (706) 632-2039 to ask about a case or request info on criminal filings. Staff at this office can pull case files, check court dates, and provide copies of criminal records. Walk-ins are welcome during normal hours, and most basic requests can be filled the same day. Older case files may need to be pulled from storage, which can add a bit of time to the process.

The GSCCCA page for Fannin County has clerk contact details and links to the statewide filing records that include Fannin County data.

This page gives you the Fannin County clerk address and phone. It also links to the statewide index of court filings run by the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, which tracks records from all 159 Georgia counties.

How to Search Fannin County Criminal Records

The fastest way to search for criminal court records in Fannin County is to visit the clerk office in Blue Ridge. Staff can look up cases by name or case number. They make copies for you on site. Standard copy fees in Georgia are $0.10 per page under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. After that, the office may charge based on the lowest paid employee's hourly rate. Most simple lookups in Fannin County take well under 15 minutes, so the search itself is usually free of charge.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, criminal court records in Georgia are public. Anyone can request them. No reason is needed. The agency must respond within three business days. This covers Fannin County and every other Georgia county. You can send a written request by mail to the Main Street address if visiting Blue Ridge in person is not an option for you.

Having these details helps when you search Fannin County criminal records:

• Full name of the person you want to look up
• Date of birth or approximate age
• Case number if you have one
• Whether the case is a felony or misdemeanor
• Approximate date of the arrest or filing

Criminal Case Types in Fannin County

Fannin County Superior Court handles felony cases. Violent crimes, drug trafficking, burglary, and other serious offenses go through this court. The State Court takes misdemeanor cases like simple battery, minor drug possession, and criminal trespass. Magistrate Court handles preliminary hearings, bond settings, and warrant applications. Each court produces records that the Fannin County Clerk of Superior Court stores and maintains. All of these records are public once the case closes, with some limits on active investigations.

Being part of the Appalachian Judicial Circuit, Fannin County shares judicial resources with nearby mountain counties. The District Attorney handles felony prosecutions, and the Solicitor General manages misdemeanor cases. Both offices create documents that become part of the criminal court record in Fannin County. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, records from pending criminal investigations may not be available to the public until the investigation ends. Basic docket data and court dates are still usually available during open cases.

Note: Juvenile cases in Fannin County have separate access rules and are generally not open to the public.

Fannin County Records Online Access

Fannin County does not run its own online court records portal. For online access, use statewide resources. The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority indexes filings from all 159 counties. While GSCCCA mostly covers real estate and lien filings, it can direct you to the right clerk for criminal record requests. A standard account is $14.95 a month, and premium access costs $29.95 per month.

The E-Access to Court Records portal connects you to case data from courts across Georgia. You need an account to search. For Fannin County criminal records, this tool lets you check case status from home instead of driving to Blue Ridge. The system shows basic case info, party names, and court dates from participating courts across the state.

For your own criminal history, visit the Fannin County Sheriff's Office and request a Purpose Code U report. This is how you get your Georgia criminal record for personal use. The GBI Criminal History Records Helpline at (404) 244-2639 option 3 answers questions about criminal records, including cases from Fannin County. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, certain records can be restricted from public view. Arrests that did not result in a conviction and some misdemeanor convictions after a four-year waiting period may qualify. For arrests on or after July 1, 2013, Fannin County residents contact the District Attorney to start the process.

Record Restriction in Fannin County

Georgia uses record restriction to limit public access to certain criminal history records. It used to be called expungement. The records do not get deleted. They just get hidden from public searches while still being available to law enforcement and the courts. In Fannin County, the process follows the same state rules as everywhere else. For arrests after July 1, 2013, you contact the District Attorney. For older arrests, go through the arresting agency. The fee is up to $50, and the process takes between two weeks and 90 days depending on the case.

Each person in Georgia is limited to two misdemeanor conviction restrictions. Serious violent felonies and sex offenses cannot be restricted. Time-expired restrictions may happen on their own if GCIC does not get a final disposition within two years for a misdemeanor or four years for a felony. Call the GBI at (404) 244-2639 option 3 to check if your Fannin County criminal record qualifies for restriction.

Cities in Fannin County

All criminal cases from cities and towns in Fannin County go through the Superior Court or State Court in Blue Ridge. The courthouse on Main Street is where felony and misdemeanor cases are filed and stored.

Cities and towns in Fannin County include Blue Ridge, Morganton, McCaysville, and Epworth. Criminal cases from all these areas are handled by the Fannin County court system.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Fannin County in the north Georgia mountains. Criminal cases must be filed in the county where the crime took place. Check the arrest location if you are not sure which county to contact.