Richmond County Bench Warrant Search

Bench warrants in Richmond County get issued by judges in the Augusta area when a person fails to show up for court or violates the terms of a bond. Richmond County and Augusta operate as a consolidated government with about 206,000 residents. Sheriff Richard Roundtree runs the office that tracks and serves these warrants. The sheriff's office has a dedicated warrant office at 735 James Brown Boulevard in Augusta. This is one of the few counties in Georgia where the warrant division has its own listed address and phone line, which makes it easier for the public to reach the right people when checking on bench warrant status.

Richmond County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Richard Roundtree leads the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. The main office is at 400 Walton Way in Augusta. The sheriff's office handles all bench warrants issued by Richmond County courts. When a judge signs a bench warrant for failure to appear, the warrant goes to the sheriff's staff. They process it, check the person's background, and enter the warrant into the Georgia Crime Information Center database. It also goes into the national NCIC system. This means a bench warrant from Richmond County is visible to every law enforcement officer in the country. The warrant stays active in both systems until the court recalls it or the person is picked up.

The Richmond County Sheriff's Office website provides details about the department, its leadership, and how to reach different units.

Use this site as your starting point for bench warrant questions in the Augusta area.

How to Search Richmond County Bench Warrants

Richmond County has a dedicated warrant office at 735 James Brown Boulevard, Suite 1400, in Augusta. The phone number for that office is (706) 821-1051. This is the best number to call when you need to check on a bench warrant in Richmond County. Most other Georgia counties make you call the main sheriff's line and get transferred. Richmond County gives you a direct line to the warrant division. Have the full legal name and date of birth of the person ready when you call.

There is no public online tool for searching active bench warrants in Richmond County. The county does not publish a searchable warrant database on the internet. You have to call or go in person. If you visit the warrant office at 735 James Brown Boulevard, bring a valid photo ID. The same rule applies here as everywhere in Georgia. If you walk in and there is an active bench warrant with your name on it, you can be arrested on the spot. The Georgia.gov warrant search guide explains the steps and risks that apply in all Georgia counties.

Many people in the Augusta area hire a lawyer to check on bench warrants for them. An attorney can call the warrant office and the court without any risk of the client being arrested. A lawyer can also file a motion asking the judge to recall the bench warrant if there is a good reason the person missed court. This is especially common for older bench warrants where the person did not know about the court date.

Note: The Richmond County warrant office at (706) 821-1051 is the direct line for bench warrant inquiries in the Augusta area.

Richmond County Bench Warrant Penalties

A bench warrant in Richmond County comes with penalties on top of the original charge. Under O.C.G.A. 16-10-51, failure to appear is treated as bail jumping. For misdemeanor cases, that means up to 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine added on. For felony cases, the penalty ranges from one to five years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines. If someone leaves Georgia to avoid a misdemeanor court date, the charge gets upgraded to a felony. These are real consequences that make the original situation much worse.

Traffic cases in Richmond County have a separate set of rules. O.C.G.A. 40-13-63 makes failure to appear on a traffic citation punishable by up to $200 in fines and three days in jail. The court also tells the Georgia DDS to suspend the person's license under O.C.G.A. 40-5-56. Reinstatement costs $100 at a DDS office. The 30-day notice rule under O.C.G.A. 17-6-11 gives a short window before some traffic bench warrants go active, but after that time is up, the warrant is fully in the system and the license suspension begins.

Public Records Access in Richmond County

Georgia's Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, lets any person get copies of public records from government agencies. Bench warrants are public records once they have been issued and served. Before service, some warrant details may be restricted. The Richmond County Clerk of Court and the sheriff's office both handle records requests. Put your request in writing and include names, case numbers, and any other details you have.

The Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government processes these requests through the regular county offices. The law requires a response within three business days. Turnaround times for getting the actual documents vary based on the workload and complexity of the request.

Richmond County Warrant Resources

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs the statewide GCIC database where Richmond County bench warrants are stored. The GBI tip line at 1-800-597-8477 takes info about fugitives with active warrants. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory lists contact info for the Richmond County Sheriff. The Georgia Courts sheriff directory is another resource for finding the right address and phone number.

Cities in Richmond County

Augusta and Richmond County merged into a consolidated government. All bench warrants from Richmond County courts go through the sheriff's office and warrant division in Augusta.

Nearby Counties

If your bench warrant is from a bordering county, you need to contact that county's sheriff. These counties are next to Richmond County.