Cobb County, Georgia Criminal Records Search: Cases & Public Records

Where to Find Cobb County Criminal Records Online

Cobb County does not maintain every criminal record in one unrestricted public database. The right starting point depends on the type of case or information you need.

What if you need an official background check instead?

The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC), part of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, maintains the state’s criminal-history repository.

For eligible public felony conviction information, use Georgia Felon Search. To request other Georgia criminal-history information through an authorized process, contact Cobb County Police, the Sheriff’s Office or another permitted law-enforcement agency.

How to Search Cobb County GA Criminal Records by Name

Searching by name is possible through Cobb County’s public court systems. However, the available filters and case coverage are different for Superior, State and Magistrate Courts.

1. Identify the type of criminal case. For felony prosecutions, start with Superior Court. For misdemeanors and traffic, use State Court. For an earlier Magistrate proceeding, check Magistrate Court.
2. Open the appropriate court’s official website. Use one of the three verified government search links provided in this guide.
3. Read any access disclaimer. Court websites explain that online case information may be incomplete or delayed and that official court files control.
4. Select the criminal case category. On State Court and Magistrate Court search pages, select Criminal Cases rather than Civil Cases.
5. Enter the defendant’s name. Use first and last name fields and include a middle name when known.
6. Apply relevant search filters. Depending on the court, use date of birth year, filing dates, case type or a complete case number.
7. Complete the required security check. Cobb’s State Court and Magistrate Court search pages use reCAPTCHA verification before accepting a search.
8. Compare the matching records. Review the party name, case number, filing date, charge and other publicly available identifiers. A matching name alone is not proof of identity.
9. Open the individual docket. Look for charges, hearing dates, pleas, judgments, dismissals, sentencing information and later court orders.
10. Request an official document if needed. For proof of conviction or dismissal, ask the original Court Clerk for a certified disposition or judgment.

Cobb County Superior Court Criminal Records: Felony Case Search

Cobb County Superior Court has jurisdiction over serious criminal proceedings, including felony prosecutions.

The Cobb County Superior Court Clerk maintains the official records and provides an online court-record search through its website.

How to search Superior Court felony records

1. Open the Superior Court Clerk’s Records Search page. Visit the official link below.
2. Select Search Court Records. Do not select the separate real estate records search.
3. Use the court case-management search. Follow the available party-name or case-number search fields.
4. Enter the defendant’s information. Search by the person’s name or complete case number where supported.
5. Review the available docket information. Look for criminal filings, hearings, indictment information and dispositions.
6. Confirm the latest judgment. If an official record is required, contact the Superior Court Clerk to obtain the appropriate document.

What information can appear in a felony docket?

• Criminal case number and filing date.
• Defendant and other publicly identified parties.
• Indictments and formal charging information.
• Scheduled hearings and court events.
• Plea information and recorded judgments.
• Sentencing entries and probation-related orders.
• Dismissals, revocations and later case activity.

2026 Superior Court e-filing update

Beginning July 13, 2026, the Cobb Superior Court Clerk introduced an additional electronic filing option through Tyler Technologies alongside PeachCourt.

The filing systems allow authorized users to submit eligible court documents. They are not substitutes for the public Records Search, and electronic filing charges should not be confused with criminal record lookup fees.

Cobb County State Court Criminal Records: Misdemeanors and Traffic

The Cobb State Court Clerk handles misdemeanor and traffic proceedings filed in State Court.

It provides an enhanced public docket system called State Court CourtConnect.

This portal supports searching by name, case number, citation number and certain other available identifiers.

Step-by-step State Court name search

1. Open State Court CourtConnect. Visit the official public search page.
2. Select Criminal Cases. The search interface has separate options for civil and criminal cases.
3. Enter the person’s last name. Use the Last Name or Company Name field.
4. Enter the first and middle names. These fields can help narrow the results.
5. Use optional identity filters. The portal provides a Date of Birth Year field when that information is lawfully available.
6. Try phonetic search if necessary. This feature may help locate a differently spelled name.
7. Narrow by filing date. The court supports case filing date filters.
8. Complete the reCAPTCHA. Submit the search and review matching records.
9. Open a matching case. Verify the recorded charges, status and disposition.

The disclaimer also indicates that case-management updates generally become available online the following day.

What if an arrest is too new to appear?

Cobb State Court’s Clerk explains that if a person has been arrested but the State Court accusation has not yet been drawn and filed, the matter may still be associated with Magistrate Court or the Solicitor General’s Office.

Therefore, a missing State Court case immediately after an arrest does not necessarily mean the arrest never happened.

State Court criminal records office

Cobb County Magistrate Court Criminal Records Search

Cobb County Magistrate Court handles several stages of the criminal justice process, including certain warrant and preliminary proceedings.

The Magistrate Court offers an enhanced public judicial records search allowing name, case number and citation number searches.

How to search Magistrate Court records

1. Open Magistrate Judicial Records Search. Use the Cobb County Magistrate Court link below.
2. Accept the portal disclaimer. The court notes that its electronic information is offered for general research and may be incomplete.
3. Choose Criminal Cases. Avoid searching civil disputes when your question concerns a criminal matter.
4. Enter the defendant’s name. Use the first, middle and last name fields.
5. Add case information. Use the case type, filing date or complete number when available.
6. Complete security verification. Submit the search after passing reCAPTCHA.
7. Review the docket. Check what proceeding occurred and whether the matter was transferred or prosecuted in another court.

Does Magistrate Court issue the final felony conviction?

Ordinarily, no. Magistrate Court may handle early proceedings, but felony prosecutions proceed in Superior Court when formally pursued there.

A Magistrate Court record showing an arrest warrant, preliminary hearing or probable-cause determination is not the same as a Superior Court criminal conviction.

Cobb Magistrate Court — Warrant Division Information

How to Read Cobb County Criminal Case Results

The meaning of a docket entry matters more than whether a person’s name appears in the database.

What is Georgia First Offender treatment?

Georgia’s First Offender Act, principally O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60, provides a special sentencing option for qualifying individuals.

When a person successfully completes an applicable First Offender sentence, the law generally provides for discharge without an adjudication of guilt, subject to the statute and any subsequent revocation.

This is why a plea, sentence and final conviction cannot always be interpreted the same way.

How to Obtain Certified Cobb County Criminal Court Records

A certified disposition can be necessary when you must verify the outcome of a criminal case.

The court that maintains the original record is responsible for providing official copies.

Requesting Superior Court criminal documents

1. Search the felony court record. Find the full Superior Court criminal case number.
2. Identify the document. You can request an ordinary disposition, certified disposition or the court’s criminal disposition package.
3. Prepare a written request. Include the defendant’s name, case number and document description.
4. Calculate the published charge. The Clerk lists separate mail-request prices for criminal documents and packages.
5. Include the required payment. Mailed copy requests require advance payment by cashier’s check or money order; personal checks are not accepted.
6. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Use the Clerk’s published mailing address.

Superior Court criminal disposition package

Cobb County offers a useful document package that can include:

• Final disposition.
• Plea statement.
• Plea questionnaire.
• Indictment.
• Applicable revocation or consent orders.

The Superior Court Clerk publishes a mail-request price of $5 for an ordinary criminal disposition package and $14 for a certified package.

Superior Court electronic certification

The Clerk also offers an eCertification service for eligible court documents.

Certified documents are generated as secured electronic records and delivered after processing through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority service.

Some receiving organizations may require paper certification instead, so confirm their requirements before purchasing.

Requesting State Court criminal documents

The Cobb State Court Clerk has a different fee schedule and copying procedure from Superior Court.

State Court publishes a charge of $0.25 per page for copies, with a separate certification charge.

The court also states that it does not perform broad criminal-history record searches. Identify the case before requesting copies.

Cobb County GA Criminal Records Search Fees in 2026

Court case lookups, certified copies, Georgia felony conviction searches and law-enforcement background checks have different costs.

Cobb County Police Department Criminal Background Checks

For an official Georgia criminal-history inquiry, the Cobb County Police Department Central Records Unit provides a background-check service.

The published fee is $20 per request.

Unlike a public court docket, this service requires the applicant to follow identification and consent rules.

How to request a Cobb County Police background check

1. Open the official Police Background Checks page. Review the department’s instructions and required documentation.
2. Download the Criminal History Request Form. Use the form linked from the department’s website.
3. Complete the requested information. Include the identifying details and purpose of the check.
4. Obtain the subject’s authorization. The person whose history is being requested must follow the required consent process. If that person is absent, the form requires a notarized signature.
5. Prepare valid identification. Bring or submit the accepted identification for the requester and the subject as required.
6. Pay the $20 fee. Mailed requests must include a money order or cashier’s check made payable to Cobb County Police Department.
7. Submit the original documentation. The department does not accept faxed or copied notarized forms because they invalidate the original notarial stamp requirement.
8. Review the response. Verify the identity and underlying disposition before relying on the result.

Cobb County Sheriff’s Office Background Checks

The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office also publishes a background-check service, separate from the Cobb County Police Department.

Its current published fee is $25, and applicants must appear in person at the Sheriff’s Public Safety Building.

Sheriff background-check requirements

• Appear in person at the listed office.
• Bring valid government-issued photo identification.
• Provide the identifying details required by the Sheriff’s Office.
• Pay by accepted card or mobile payment.
• Account for the published 3.5% processing fee.

Georgia Felon Search: Statewide Felony Conviction Records

The official Georgia Felon Search allows public searches for qualifying felony convictions reported to the Georgia Crime Information Center.

It is operated through Georgia’s government technology services and uses GCIC criminal-history information.

Unlike Cobb County’s court docket searches, Georgia Felon Search is designed to identify qualifying felony conviction information across Georgia.

How to perform a Georgia Felon Search

1. Open the Georgia.gov Felon Search page. Review its description and access requirements.
2. Select the official search service. Follow the Georgia Felon Search link.
3. Enter the required identifying details. The state requires first name, last name, date of birth and sex.
4. Review the $15 charge. Payment is required even if the system returns no matching felony record.
5. Submit the name-based search. Follow the system’s online process.
6. Check possible matches carefully. Multiple records may be returned, and each additional record selected can incur another charge.
7. Verify identity and disposition. A name-based search is not as reliable as fingerprint comparison for positively identifying someone.

What does Georgia Felon Search exclude?

Georgia.gov explains that its Felon Search does not return:

• Ordinary misdemeanor criminal histories.
• Juvenile felony history information.
• Sealed or expunged information not releasable to the public.
• Every felony arrest that did not result in a reported conviction.
• Federal or out-of-state criminal histories outside the Georgia repository’s coverage.

Can the public request Georgia felony convictions without consent?

Yes, for qualifying felony conviction information. The GBI explains that O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34(d.2) permits public access to felony conviction records without the subject’s consent when the required identifying information is provided.

Access to other Georgia criminal-history information may require consent or a separate legal authorization.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation — Criminal History Access FAQ

Cobb County Jail Inmate Search and Recent Booking Information

The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office operates the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

Its public inmate search helps locate individuals currently in custody and view available charges and bond information.

Jail information is separate from the final criminal court docket.

How to search a Cobb County jail inmate

1. Open the Sheriff’s custodial information page. Use the official Cobb County Sheriff’s Office link below.
2. Select Inmate Search. The Sheriff’s page links to its dedicated inmate search system.
3. Enter the inmate’s name. Follow the available search form.
4. Review possible matches. Compare the identifying details provided by the jail system.
5. Check the custody and charge information. Review the available criminal charges, bond amount and related records.
6. Contact the jail for urgent custody questions. The jail information office can explain its official custody procedures.
7. Check the court outcome separately. A pending jail booking is not a criminal conviction.

Georgia state prison search

Someone serving a sentence in a Georgia state correctional facility may no longer appear in Cobb County’s jail search.

Use the Georgia Department of Corrections Find an Offender service to search qualifying state custody information by name or other available identifiers.

Cobb County Arrest Reports and Police Incident Records

If you need an arrest or incident report rather than a court case, start with the law-enforcement agency that created the report.

The Cobb County Police Department Central Records Unit handles qualifying incident reports and public records associated with Cobb County Police investigations.

How to request a Cobb County Police incident report

1. Open the Police Incident Reports page. Review the department’s procedures for obtaining records.
2. Identify the incident. Have the police report number, incident date, location and other available details ready.
3. Check whether online information is available. The Police Department provides an incident search for basic information about qualifying reports.
4. Complete the request form if needed. Involved parties may have different access procedures from third-party requesters.
5. Provide valid identification. Certain sensitive incident types must be handled through Central Records.
6. Submit the request. Use an accepted in-person, mail or public-record request method.
7. Check any related court case separately. The police report does not necessarily show the final criminal disposition.

What if the arrest occurred in Marietta, Smyrna or Kennesaw?

Municipal police departments maintain their own incident and arrest records.

If an arrest was made by Marietta Police, Smyrna Police, Kennesaw Police, Acworth Police, Austell Police or Powder Springs Police, contact the appropriate municipal agency for its original report.

A prosecution may still appear in Cobb County Superior, State or Magistrate Court depending on the charge, but that does not transfer ownership of the original municipal police report to Cobb County Police.

Cobb County Criminal Record Restriction and Sealing

Georgia uses the term record restriction for certain criminal-history relief that limits access to eligible records by private employers and members of the public.

Record restriction and court-record sealing are related but not identical.

Record restriction vs court sealing

Georgia’s record restriction process

Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, eligibility and procedures depend on the arrest date, charges and disposition.

The GBI distinguishes arrests occurring before and after July 1, 2013.

• Before July 1, 2013: An eligible person generally starts the restriction application with the arresting agency, followed by the appropriate prosecuting authority’s review.
• On or after July 1, 2013: Some eligible non-conviction records can be restricted through the prosecutor’s disposition-reporting process without the older paper application.
• Qualifying convictions: Georgia also permits relief for some eligible convictions under additional statutory conditions and procedures.
• Court records: A separate sealing process may be necessary after criminal-history restriction.

Cobb County Second Chance Desk: Local Free Assistance

Cobb County offers a particularly useful resource called the Cobb Second Chance Desk.

This program is a partnership involving Cobb County criminal justice offices and the Georgia Justice Project. It provides free assistance to help eligible individuals understand restriction and sealing options.

How to prepare for a Second Chance Desk appointment

1. Gather your criminal-history information. Bring any existing Georgia criminal-history report and court records.
2. Collect case numbers and dispositions. Include Cobb felony, misdemeanor and other eligible case information.
3. Review the Desk’s appointment procedure. The county says new appointment registration opens on the third Friday of each month at 9 a.m.
4. Complete the registration form. Provide the information needed for the eligibility review and consent process.
5. Attend the scheduled consultation. The program can assist with understanding restrictions, sealing and eligible applications.
6. Follow the correct legal procedure. A consultation alone does not automatically restrict or seal a criminal record.

Other Georgia Criminal Records That Cobb County Searches May Miss

A Cobb County court lookup does not automatically include cases from other Georgia counties, federal courts or every correctional database.

Federal criminal cases

Federal criminal prosecutions involving conduct in Cobb County may appear in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

Federal case dockets are searched using PACER, not the Cobb County State or Superior Court public search.

Why Can’t You Find a Cobb County Criminal Record Online?

A missing result does not automatically prove that the person has never been arrested or charged.

Responsible Use of Cobb County Criminal Public Records

Public criminal records should be used carefully, particularly when researching an identifiable person.

• An arrest does not establish a conviction.
• An indictment is a criminal accusation, not a finding of guilt.
• A preliminary Magistrate proceeding does not establish a felony conviction.
• Multiple people may share the same name.
• Dismissed charges should not be described as convictions.
• Georgia First Offender outcomes can have distinct legal consequences.
• Restricted and sealed records have legally protected access limitations.
• Employment and tenant screening require separate legal compliance.

Federal Trade Commission — Employment Background-Check Requirements