Search Chattooga County Bench Warrants

Bench warrants in Chattooga County are issued by judges in the Summerville area when someone misses a court appearance or breaks the conditions of their release. Chattooga County sits in the northwest corner of Georgia and has a population of about 25,000. Sheriff Mark Schrader runs the county sheriff's office from Trion and is responsible for serving all bench warrants issued by local courts. If you think there might be an active bench warrant with your name on it in Chattooga County, you can call the sheriff's office to ask. The county does not have a public online search tool for warrants, so phone and in-person inquiries are the main options available to people looking for this kind of information.

Chattooga County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Mark Schrader oversees the Chattooga County Sheriff's Office, which is based in Trion rather than the county seat of Summerville. The office is in charge of serving warrants throughout the county. When a Chattooga County judge signs a bench warrant, the sheriff's staff enter the information into local records and transmit it to the Georgia Crime Information Center database. That state system feeds into the national NCIC network. Once a bench warrant is in NCIC, it can be seen by law enforcement agencies across the whole country. A traffic stop in another state could lead to an arrest on a Chattooga County bench warrant.

The sheriff's office handles both warrants and jail operations. Chattooga County is not large, so the staff wear many hats. When calling about a warrant, you might need to be transferred or call back at a different time if they are busy with other duties.

Note: The Chattooga County Sheriff's Office address is in Trion, not the county seat of Summerville.

Chattooga County Warrant Search Options

Chattooga County does not offer an online warrant search portal. You cannot look up bench warrants through a county website. To check on an active bench warrant in Chattooga County, your best option is to call the sheriff's office at 706-857-3411. Have the full legal name and date of birth ready for whoever you are asking about. The staff can check their local records and the GCIC system to see if anything comes up. Some details may be shared over the phone, but they might ask you to come in for more sensitive information.

The Chattooga County Clerk of Superior Court in Summerville also maintains court records. The clerk can tell you whether a bench warrant was issued in a particular case. You will need a case number or the full name of the person. The clerk's office is separate from the sheriff's office, but both deal with bench warrant records from different angles. The clerk handles the court file. The sheriff handles the enforcement.

The Georgia.gov warrant search guide explains how warrant searches work across Georgia counties, including Chattooga County.

This guide is a good starting point if you are unfamiliar with the process for checking on a bench warrant in Georgia.

Bench Warrant Consequences in Chattooga County

A bench warrant in Chattooga County brings extra legal trouble. Georgia treats failure to appear as a separate crime under O.C.G.A. 16-10-51. Bail jumping on a misdemeanor case can result in up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. On a felony case, it can mean one to five years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines. Those penalties come on top of whatever the original charge carried. Leaving the state to dodge a Chattooga County bench warrant can escalate the charge from misdemeanor to felony.

Traffic warrants are handled under a separate part of the code. O.C.G.A. 40-13-63 sets the penalty for missing a traffic court date at up to $200 or three days in jail. The court will also report the failure to appear to the Georgia Department of Driver Services. DDS will then suspend the person's license under O.C.G.A. 40-5-56. Getting it reinstated costs $100 at a DDS office or $125 if done by mail.

Chattooga County Warrant Records Access

Georgia's Open Records Act covers bench warrants in Chattooga County. Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, anyone can request public records from a government agency, including warrant records. Served warrants are generally available. Unserved warrants may be withheld to protect the investigation. You can submit a written request to the Chattooga County Clerk of Court or the sheriff's office in Trion.

Include the person's full name, case number if you have one, and a description of the records you want. The office is required to respond within three business days. In a small county like Chattooga, requests are sometimes handled faster because there is less volume to work through.

Note: Unserved bench warrants may be sealed to prevent the subject from fleeing before arrest.

Chattooga County Bench Warrant Resources

State-level agencies can help with bench warrant searches in the Chattooga County area. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains the GCIC database and accepts fugitive tips at 1-800-597-8477. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory lists Sheriff Schrader's office with current contact info. The Georgia Courts sheriff directory provides a second way to confirm the phone number and address for the Chattooga County Sheriff before you reach out about a bench warrant.

Nearby Counties

If your warrant was issued in another county, you need to contact that county's sheriff. These counties border Chattooga County.