Webster County Bench Warrants

Bench warrants in Webster County are issued when someone misses a court date or fails to follow a bond condition set by a judge. Preston is the county seat, and the Webster County Sheriff's Office manages all warrant enforcement for this very small southwest Georgia county. With a population around 2,300, Webster County is one of the least populated counties in the state, and there are no online tools for searching bench warrants here. If you need to find out about a bench warrant in Webster County, you will need to call or visit the sheriff's office directly to get the information you need.

Webster County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Randy Dely leads the Webster County Sheriff's Office. As the primary law enforcement agency in the county, this office handles all bench warrant matters from processing to enforcement. When a judge in Webster County issues a bench warrant, the sheriff's office logs it and enters it into the Georgia Crime Information Center database. From GCIC, the warrant feeds into the national NCIC system. Even in a county as small as Webster, a bench warrant becomes visible to officers across the entire country once it hits the database. The mailing address is PO Box 55, Preston, GA 31824.

Call 229-828-7712 for questions. Staff may not give specific warrant information by phone. In a county this small, most people handle things in person at the sheriff's office in Preston. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory lists all Georgia sheriffs and their contact details.

Note: Webster County does not offer an online bench warrant search tool.

Bench Warrant Searches in Webster County

No online search portal exists for Webster County bench warrants. Given the county's very small population, this is not surprising. Your best option is to call the sheriff's office or go to the Webster County Courthouse in Preston. The Clerk of Superior Court keeps records for all cases in the county and can confirm whether a bench warrant has been issued. Both offices are in the center of Preston, which makes it easy to visit both in one stop. With so few residents, wait times are usually short compared to bigger counties.

The Georgia.gov warrant search guide walks through the general process for checking on a warrant in any Georgia county. For Webster County, the steps are the same as anywhere else in the state. You bring your photo ID to the sheriff's office, and they look up your name. If a bench warrant exists, they tell you what it is about and what you need to do. The process does not cost anything. If you need copies of court documents, the clerk may charge a small per-page fee.

The GCIC database is where Webster County bench warrants get stored after the sheriff's office processes them locally.

Webster County Warrant Penalties

A bench warrant from Webster County means you missed a court date or broke a bond rule, and now you face additional charges. Under O.C.G.A. 16-10-51, bail jumping is a separate offense. Misdemeanor failure to appear carries up to 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine on top of the original charge. For felony cases, the penalty increases to one to five years in prison and fines up to $5,000. Even in a small county like Webster, the penalties under Georgia law are the same as anywhere else in the state.

Traffic cases have separate rules. O.C.G.A. 40-13-63 sets the penalty for missing a traffic court date at a $200 fine and up to three days in jail. The court also reports the failure to appear to the Georgia Department of Driver Services, which can suspend your license under O.C.G.A. 40-5-56. Reinstating the license costs $100 in person or $125 by mail at a DDS office.

O.C.G.A. 17-6-11 provides a 30-day grace period for traffic bench warrants. The clerk of court must send a written notice before the warrant goes active. If you resolve it during that time, the warrant may be canceled.

State Agencies and Webster County

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation works with all Georgia sheriff's offices, including Webster County. The GBI does not issue bench warrants, but it maintains the Georgia Crime Information Center where Webster County warrants are stored. This database connects to NCIC. A bench warrant from Webster County will appear during any law enforcement database check, whether it happens in Georgia or across state lines.

The Georgia Courts sheriff directory lists the Webster County Sheriff's Office and provides official contact information. Webster County is part of the Southwestern Judicial Circuit. Each county in the circuit maintains its own bench warrant records.

Note: Even in a small county like Webster, bench warrants entered into the GCIC system are accessible to law enforcement statewide and nationwide.

Open Records in Webster County

Under Georgia's Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, anyone can request public records from government offices. Bench warrants held by the Webster County Clerk of Court or sheriff's office are covered. You can submit a request at the Preston courthouse or by mail. The office must respond within three business days.

Most bench warrants are public records once issued. Juvenile cases and sealed records are exceptions. There is no charge to make the request. Document copies may carry a small fee. In a county as small as Webster, the volume of records is low, so requests tend to be handled quickly.

Nearby Counties

Bench warrants are county-specific in Georgia. The county where the case was filed holds the warrant. If you need to check which county issued your warrant, look at your court papers or call the Webster County Sheriff's Office at 229-828-7712. These counties border Webster County.