Find Union County Bench Warrants

Union County bench warrants come from the Superior Court and Magistrate Court in Blairsville when someone fails to appear for a scheduled hearing. Located in the north Georgia mountains, Union County has around 24,000 residents and the county seat is Blairsville. The Sheriff's Office on Butternut Creek Road processes all bench warrants for the county. If you want to search for a bench warrant in Union County, your options are calling the sheriff's office or visiting in person. The area does not have a public online search portal for warrants, which is common for mountain counties in this part of the state.

Union County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Mack Mason leads law enforcement in Union County. The sheriff's office is the main agency that processes bench warrants here. Once a judge issues a bench warrant, it goes to the sheriff's office where staff log it into the county records and enter it into the Georgia Crime Information Center database. That puts the warrant into a statewide system that connects to the national NCIC network. Any law enforcement officer in the country can see it after that point. The office is at 105 Butternut Creek Road in Blairsville, and you can reach them by phone at 706-439-6092.

Calling is a good first step. The staff can confirm whether there is an active bench warrant, though they might not share all the details by phone. For a full check, plan on visiting the Union County Sheriff's Office with a valid photo ID. They are open on weekdays during business hours. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association website lists contact info for every sheriff in the state, including Union County.

Note: Union County does not maintain a public-facing online warrant lookup system.

Searching for Bench Warrants in Union County

Without an online portal, searching for bench warrants in Union County means contacting the right office directly. The sheriff's office is the fastest route. You can also check with the Clerk of Superior Court at the Union County Courthouse in Blairsville. The clerk maintains records of all court filings and can tell you if a bench warrant was issued in connection with a case. Both offices are located in Blairsville and are easy to reach during weekday business hours.

The Georgia.gov warrant search guide walks through how to check for warrants in Georgia counties. The process is the same in Union County. You figure out which office to call, bring your ID if you go in person, and ask them to check the records. If there is a match, the staff will explain what the warrant is for and what you need to do. Most bench warrants in Union County are tied to missed court appearances, and the court typically wants the person to come in and reschedule.

The Georgia Crime Information Center is the state database where Union County bench warrants are stored after the sheriff's office processes them.

Union County Bench Warrant Consequences

Missing court in Union County triggers a chain of events. The judge issues the bench warrant and it goes to the sheriff's office. But beyond the warrant, you face a separate criminal charge for failure to appear. Georgia law under O.C.G.A. 16-10-51 makes bail jumping a crime on its own. Miss a misdemeanor hearing and you could get up to 12 months in jail plus a $1,000 fine. For felony cases, the penalty jumps to one to five years in prison and fines up to $5,000. Union County judges enforce these penalties, and the charge sits on your record alongside the original case.

Traffic cases in Union County have their own rules. O.C.G.A. 40-13-63 sets the penalty at a $200 fine and up to three days in jail for a missed traffic hearing. The court also has the option to notify the Georgia Department of Driver Services to suspend your license. Under O.C.G.A. 40-5-56, the suspension stays in place until you pay the reinstatement fee. That is $100 at a DDS location or $125 through the mail.

There is a built-in grace period for traffic warrants. O.C.G.A. 17-6-11 says the clerk has to send you a written notice first, and then the court waits 30 days before making the bench warrant active. Use that time to take care of the issue and the Union County court may withdraw the warrant entirely.

State Agencies for Union County Warrants

Several state agencies play a role in how Union County bench warrants are tracked and enforced. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation manages the statewide crime database through the GCIC. Once a bench warrant from Union County is in that system, it is accessible to all Georgia law enforcement. The GBI itself does not issue warrants, but it provides the technology that makes sure warrants are shared across jurisdictions.

The Georgia Courts sheriff directory is a helpful tool for finding the right contact at the Union County Sheriff's Office. Union County falls under the Enotah Judicial Circuit, which serves several counties in the north Georgia mountains. That circuit court handles the more serious cases that come through Union County.

Note: Bench warrants entered into the GCIC database are visible to law enforcement nationwide, not just in Union County.

Union County Open Records Access

The Georgia Open Records Act, codified at O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, lets anyone request public records from government offices in the state. This includes bench warrant records from Union County. You can submit a request to the Clerk of Superior Court or the sheriff's office. Written requests are preferred, and you can drop them off in person at the courthouse in Blairsville or send them by mail. The law gives the office three business days to respond.

Most bench warrants are public once a judge signs them. The underlying case file is also usually open to the public. Exceptions exist for juvenile cases and certain sealed records, but a standard bench warrant for a missed court date in Union County is available to anyone. There is no charge for asking about a warrant, though the office may charge per page for document copies.

Nearby Counties

Bench warrants stay with the county that issued them. If you are unsure which county filed the warrant, check your court documents or call the Union County Sheriff's Office at 706-439-6092. The counties next to Union County are listed here.