Access Cobb County Bench Warrants

Cobb County bench warrants are issued by judges in the Superior Court, State Court, and Magistrate Court when a person fails to show up for a scheduled court date. The county has about 766,000 residents and sits just northwest of Atlanta with Marietta as the county seat. The Cobb County Sheriff's Office and the Magistrate Court Warrant Division both play roles in the warrant process. Cobb County provides a judicial records search and a warrant inquiry page through the Magistrate Court, which gives residents more access to information than many other Georgia counties offer.

Cobb County Bench Warrant Offices

Sheriff Craig Owens heads the Cobb County Sheriff's Office. The office is responsible for serving all warrants issued by Cobb County courts, including bench warrants for failure to appear. Staff at the sheriff's office process warrants, enter them into the state and national databases, and carry out arrests. The office is located in downtown Marietta near the courthouse.

The Magistrate Court Warrant Division is the other key office for bench warrants in Cobb County. This division handles the paperwork side of warrants. When a judge signs a bench warrant, the Warrant Division records it and sends it over to the sheriff's office for service. The division also manages warrant inquiries from the public and maintains the records that tie each warrant to its court case.

The Cobb County Sheriff homepage links to divisions, contact info, and public services.

This is the main page for the Cobb County Sheriff's Office and a good first stop for anyone with questions about a bench warrant.

Note: The Magistrate Court Warrant Division at 70 Haynes Street handles warrant inquiries and records, while the sheriff's office at 185 Roswell Street handles service and arrests.

Searching Bench Warrants in Cobb County

Cobb County offers a couple of ways to look up bench warrant information. The Magistrate Court has a warrant inquiry page on the county website. This page gives official details on how to check for warrants and provides links to the judicial records search system. It also covers court calendars and fee info, which can be useful if you need to deal with a bench warrant case.

The warrant inquiry page is the official starting point for anyone who needs to check on a Cobb County bench warrant.

The Cobb County Judicial Records Search is the other tool. This system lets you search court records by name or case number. While it covers court cases broadly, it can help you find cases that may have bench warrants tied to them. If a person missed a hearing and a bench warrant was issued, that event is part of the case record. You can look through the case history and see if a failure to appear is noted.

The judicial records search tool covers Cobb County court cases and can show bench warrant activity within individual case files.

You can also check for Cobb County bench warrants by calling the Magistrate Court Warrant Division at 770-528-8900 or visiting in person at 70 Haynes Street in Marietta. The Georgia.gov warrant search guide explains the general steps for searching warrants across all counties, including Cobb County. Bring a valid photo ID if you go in person. If you have a bench warrant and show up, you should know that you could be taken into custody depending on the charges.

How Cobb County Bench Warrants Are Issued

Judges in Cobb County issue bench warrants under O.C.G.A. 17-7-90. This statute lets a judge order the arrest of any person who was properly notified about a court date and did not show up. The judge can also issue a bench warrant if someone violates bond conditions. Once signed, the Warrant Division logs the bench warrant and the sheriff's office takes over from there. The warrant goes into the Georgia Crime Information Center database run by the GBI, and then into the National Crime Information Center so police anywhere in the country can see it.

Bench warrants in Cobb County do not have an expiration date. A warrant from last month and a warrant from ten years ago carry the same weight. Both can lead to an arrest at any time. The only way to clear a bench warrant is to appear before the judge who issued it or have a lawyer file a motion to recall it. Some Cobb County judges allow attorneys to handle this without the person being present, but that depends on the judge and the case. Until the bench warrant is recalled or the person is arrested, it stays active in the system.

Cobb County Bench Warrant Penalties

Failing to appear in Cobb County court creates real problems beyond the bench warrant itself. Georgia law adds separate charges for skipping court. Under O.C.G.A. 16-10-51, bail jumping on a misdemeanor case means up to 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine. For felony cases, the penalty jumps to one to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. These penalties stack on top of the original charges.

Traffic bench warrants in Cobb County have specific consequences too. Under O.C.G.A. 40-13-63, a failure to appear in traffic court can bring a $200 fine and up to three days in jail. The court reports the failure to the Georgia Department of Driver Services, which suspends the person's license under O.C.G.A. 40-5-56. Reinstatement costs $100 in person or $125 by mail. That is a separate cost from fines and court fees.

Before a traffic bench warrant takes full effect, O.C.G.A. 17-6-11 requires the clerk to send a notice by mail giving the person 30 days to respond. If the person contacts the court and handles the case within those 30 days, the bench warrant may never be issued. After that window closes, the Cobb County bench warrant goes active and the license suspension process starts. Dealing with a bench warrant early is always cheaper and less stressful than waiting for an arrest.

Cobb County Bench Warrant Records

Georgia's Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 gives anyone the right to request records from Cobb County government offices. Court records, including bench warrant filings, are generally public. You can ask the Clerk of Superior Court at 770-528-1300 for case file info. The Magistrate Court also maintains warrant records. Requests can be made in person at 70 Haynes Street in Marietta or in writing.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory lists contact info for every sheriff in the state, including Cobb County. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs statewide databases that include warrant info but does not offer a public-facing warrant search for individual counties.

Note: Cobb County bench warrant records are public under Georgia law, but specific warrant status for individuals may require an in-person visit with photo ID.

Cities in Cobb County

Cobb County is home to several cities in the northwest part of metro Atlanta. All bench warrants from Cobb County court cases go through the sheriff's office in Marietta. Municipal court warrants may be handled by the individual city police departments.

Other communities in Cobb County include Acworth, Powder Springs, and Austell. Bench warrants from county-level cases in these areas all go through the Cobb County courts and sheriff's office.

Nearby Counties

Cobb County shares borders with several other counties in the north metro Atlanta area. Make sure you check the right county when looking for bench warrants since the warrant stays with the court that issued it.