Bartow County Bench Warrants

Bench warrants in Bartow County come from judges in the Cartersville area when someone fails to appear in court or violates bond conditions. Bartow County is in northwest Georgia with a population around 108,000. The county has been growing over the past decade as the Atlanta metro area expands northward. Sheriff Clark Millsap oversees the Bartow County Sheriff's Office, which serves all bench warrants from county courts. The sheriff's office is on Zena Drive in Cartersville. No public online search tool exists for active bench warrants in Bartow County, so you have to call or visit to check on warrant status.

Bartow County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Clark Millsap leads the Bartow County Sheriff's Office at 104 Zena Drive in Cartersville. This office handles every bench warrant that comes from Bartow County courts. After a judge signs a bench warrant, the sheriff's staff process it through the county system. They log the warrant, check the person's criminal history, and enter the data into the Georgia Crime Information Center database. The warrant also gets placed into the national NCIC system. Once it is in NCIC, any officer in the country can see the active Bartow County bench warrant. It stays in the system until the person is picked up or the court withdraws the warrant.

The Bartow County Sheriff's Office page on the county website has general info about the department and how to reach its divisions.

This is the main online page for the Bartow County Sheriff's Office. It covers warrant service, jail operations, and other law enforcement matters in the Cartersville area.

How to Search Bartow County Bench Warrants

Bartow County does not provide an online tool for searching active bench warrants. There is no public database on the county website. To find out about a bench warrant in Bartow County, contact the sheriff's office. Call 770-382-5050 and ask about warrants. You will need the full legal name and date of birth of the person. Staff may give you basic details over the phone, but some requests get handled only in person.

If you go in person, visit the sheriff's office at 104 Zena Drive in Cartersville. Bring a government photo ID. The risk with an in-person visit is real. If there is an active bench warrant in your name, officers can take you into custody right away. The Georgia.gov warrant search guide spells out this risk for all Georgia counties, and Bartow County is no different. Many people choose to hire a lawyer who can make the inquiry without any arrest risk. An attorney can also file a motion to recall the bench warrant if there is a good reason for the missed court date.

Bartow County is growing quickly. The court system sees more cases each year as the population goes up. The Magistrate Court handles misdemeanor and traffic bench warrants. The Superior Court covers felony cases. Contact the clerk of whichever court handled your case for more specific info about a bench warrant.

Note: Bartow County is in the Cherokee Judicial Circuit along with Cherokee and Gordon counties, so verify which county your case was filed in before calling.

Bartow County Bench Warrant Penalties

Failing to appear in court in Bartow County brings penalties on top of the original charge. Under O.C.G.A. 16-10-51, bail jumping on a misdemeanor case can add up to 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine. For felony cases, the penalty climbs to one to five years in prison and fines up to $5,000. Leaving Georgia to avoid a court date upgrades the charge to a felony. Bench warrants from Bartow County do not expire. A warrant from five years ago is just as active as one issued last week.

Traffic bench warrants in Bartow County have separate consequences. O.C.G.A. 40-13-63 makes failure to appear for a traffic citation a separate crime with fines up to $200 and up to three days in jail. The court notifies the Georgia Department of Driver Services, which suspends the person's license under O.C.G.A. 40-5-56. Reinstatement costs $100. The 30-day grace period under O.C.G.A. 17-6-11 gives a brief window in some traffic cases before the bench warrant and license suspension go into effect. If the person handles the citation within that time, the court may not issue the warrant at all.

Public Records in Bartow County

Georgia's Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 gives anyone the right to get copies of public records from government offices. Bench warrant records are open once they have been issued and served. Warrants that have not yet been executed may be restricted. File a written request with the Bartow County Clerk of Court or the sheriff's office. Include names, case numbers, and dates to help the staff find the right records. Agencies must respond within three business days under the law.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory lists contact info for every county sheriff in the state. The Georgia Courts sheriff directory is another resource for finding the Bartow County Sheriff's office details.

Bartow County Warrant Agencies

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains the GCIC database where all Bartow County bench warrants are logged at the state level. Only law enforcement can access this system. The GBI tip line at 1-800-597-8477 accepts tips about fugitives with active warrants. For your own bench warrant status in Bartow County, the sheriff's office at 770-382-5050 is the right number to call.

Cities in Bartow County

Cartersville is the county seat and largest city in Bartow County. All bench warrants from Bartow County courts are served by the sheriff's office in Cartersville.

Nearby Counties

If your bench warrant was issued in a neighboring county, contact that county's sheriff. These counties share borders with Bartow County in northwest Georgia.