Find Burke County Bench Warrants

Burke County bench warrants are court orders issued by judges in the Superior Court or Magistrate Court when a person misses a court date or breaks the conditions of their bond. The county seat is Waynesboro, and Burke County has a population of about 22,000 people. It is one of the larger counties by land area in eastern Georgia. The Burke County Sheriff's Office handles all bench warrant matters. If you need to check on an active bench warrant, the sheriff's office in Waynesboro and the Clerk of Superior Court are your two main contacts because the county does not have an online warrant search system.

Burke County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Alfonzo Williams leads the Burke County Sheriff's Office, which is the main agency that processes and serves bench warrants in the county. When a judge in Burke County signs a bench warrant, the order is sent to the sheriff's office. Staff process it by entering the details into the county system and then submitting the record to the Georgia Crime Information Center. The GCIC database connects to the national NCIC system, which means a Burke County bench warrant is accessible to law enforcement nationwide. Deputies actively pursue people with outstanding warrants.

Call the Burke County Sheriff's Office at 706-554-2133 for general warrant information. Staff handle questions during regular business hours. For a definitive answer on whether you have an active bench warrant, visit the office in person with a valid photo ID. Burke County is part of the Augusta Judicial Circuit.

Note: Burke County borders Richmond County, home to Augusta, so some people confuse which county their case was filed in.

Bench Warrant Search in Burke County

Burke County does not have an online bench warrant search. This is standard for many Georgia counties outside the major metro areas. To find out about a bench warrant, you need to contact the sheriff's office or visit the Burke County Courthouse in Waynesboro. The Clerk of Superior Court maintains files on every case in the county. If a bench warrant was issued in your case, the clerk's office has that information. Walk-in inquiries are accepted during business hours, and you should bring a valid photo ID.

The Georgia.gov warrant search guide provides a general overview of the process for any Georgia county. It applies to Burke County the same way it does everywhere else. Start with the sheriff's office, show identification, and ask about your status. If a warrant is confirmed, you may be taken into custody right then. An attorney can make the inquiry on your behalf to reduce that risk. Lawyers in the Waynesboro and Augusta area regularly assist clients with outstanding bench warrants.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association maintains information on every sheriff in the state, including the Burke County Sheriff's Office.

Burke County Bench Warrant Consequences

Georgia law treats missing a court date as a separate offense, not just a bench warrant. Under O.C.G.A. 16-10-51, bail jumping on a misdemeanor carries up to 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine. For felony cases, the penalty is one to five years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines. These charges stack on top of whatever the original case was about. If you skip a court date in Burke County, you now face two separate legal issues instead of one.

Traffic bench warrants follow different rules in Burke County. O.C.G.A. 40-13-63 sets the penalty for failing to appear in traffic court at $200 and up to three days in jail. The court can report the failure to appear to the Georgia Department of Driver Services, which will suspend your license under O.C.G.A. 40-5-56. Getting the license back costs $100 in person at a DDS office or $125 by mail.

Under O.C.G.A. 17-6-11, the court clerk sends a 30-day notice before a traffic bench warrant goes active. This gives you a window to handle the case. If you act within those 30 days, the Burke County court may not issue the bench warrant at all. After the deadline, the warrant is fully active.

Note: A bench warrant from Burke County stays active indefinitely until it is resolved, no matter how many years pass.

State Resources for Burke County Warrants

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs the statewide databases that track bench warrants from Burke County and every other Georgia county. The GCIC system is where all warrant data ends up after the sheriff's office processes it. Law enforcement officers across the state use this system daily. The Georgia Courts sheriff directory lists official contact details for all Georgia sheriffs, and the Georgia Sheriffs' Association maintains a similar resource.

Burke County is part of the Augusta Judicial Circuit, which includes Burke, Columbia, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, and Warren counties. Judges in the circuit hear felony cases across all these counties. If you have a bench warrant from Burke County Superior Court, the circuit court system handles those cases.

Open Records in Burke County

Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, anyone can request public records from Burke County offices. Bench warrant records and court case files are generally public. Submit a request to the Clerk of Superior Court at the courthouse in Waynesboro or to the sheriff's office. Requests can be made in person or in writing. The office has three business days to respond in most cases. Document copies may carry a per-page fee.

Most bench warrant records are open to the public. Juvenile cases and sealed records are the main exceptions. If you just want a quick check on whether a bench warrant exists, calling or visiting the sheriff's office is faster than filing a formal open records request.

Nearby Counties

Bench warrants are county-specific. The county where your case was filed is the one that holds the warrant. These counties share borders with Burke County in eastern Georgia.