Cobb County Criminal Records Search: Cases & Public Records
Cobb County Criminal Records Search: Court Cases, Background Checks & Public Records
To search Cobb County criminal records, use the Superior Court Clerk’s criminal search for felony cases, Cobb State Court’s records search for misdemeanors and traffic violations, or the Magistrate Court search for qualifying preliminary criminal proceedings.
These court databases are separate. A recent arrest might appear in Magistrate Court before a prosecutor files charges in Superior or State Court. For an actual Georgia criminal-history check, use the authorized Cobb County Police Department process or the state’s Georgia Felon Search service, depending on what you need.
Official Cobb County and Georgia sources reviewed October 16, 2026.
Which Cobb County Criminal Records Search Should You Use?
Cobb County’s criminal justice system includes Superior Court, State Court, Magistrate Court, municipal courts and separate law-enforcement record systems. The correct search depends on the offense and the stage of the case.
Superior Court Criminal Search
Search the official Cobb County Superior Court Clerk’s public criminal docket for felony case numbers, proceedings and available case history.
Open Superior Court Records ↗State Court Records Search
Find misdemeanor, DUI, traffic and other State Court matters using the Clerk’s criminal case search.
Search State Court ↗Magistrate Court Search
Check for publicly available criminal proceedings, warrant-related matters and cases that may not yet have been formally docketed in a trial court.
Open Magistrate Search ↗Cobb Police / Georgia GCIC
Request an authorized Georgia criminal-history check from Cobb County Police Central Records or check eligible statewide felony convictions through Georgia Felon Search.
Criminal Background Check Instructions ↗How to Search Cobb County Felony Criminal Records
The Cobb County Superior Court hears felony criminal cases. The Superior Court Clerk maintains the criminal filings and docket records and provides an official public records-search service.
The direct criminal case-management portal provides a Criminal Search option. If that system is unavailable, begin with the Clerk’s Records Search page to access the currently supported court search.
Step-by-step: Search a felony case
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Open the Superior Court records search.
Select the public criminal search or Criminal Search tab in the Clerk’s case-management system.
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Choose the search information you have.
Use the defendant’s name or a known criminal case number, following the search fields shown by the court system.
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Check names carefully.
Use the full name and any reliable identifying details. A broad name search may return more than one person.
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Open the matching docket.
Compare the defendant, case number, filing date, charge descriptions and available procedural entries.
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Review the case outcome.
Look for a plea, dismissal, verdict, sentence, final disposition or subsequent revocation. A filed charge alone does not establish a conviction.
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Request official documentation when needed.
For a certified disposition, indictment, sentencing order or criminal disposition package, contact the Superior Court Clerk.
Marietta, GA 30090
Phone: (770) 528-1300
Clerk office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., excluding applicable closures.
How to Search Cobb County Misdemeanor and Traffic Records
The Cobb County State Court Clerk’s Criminal Division handles misdemeanor and qualifying traffic cases. The office uses an enhanced Judicial Records Search system that allows public searches of criminal case information.
Unlike Superior Court felony searches, the State Court portal offers a dedicated Criminal Cases selection and supports searches by name, filing dates and criminal case number.
Search State Court by defendant name
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Open the State Court Records Search.
Read the public-record disclaimer and accept the conditions when prompted.
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Choose “Criminal Cases.”
The search separates Civil Cases from Criminal Cases. Select the criminal option before entering your search.
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Enter the defendant’s name.
Use Last Name and First Name. A Middle Name may help narrow common-name results.
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Use optional filters.
Where appropriate, add Date of Birth Year, Case Filing Dates or the Case Number. The portal also offers a phonetic name-search option.
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Complete the security verification.
Follow the reCAPTCHA prompt and submit your search.
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Inspect the correct docket.
Check the case number, charges, court events, hearing dates and final case disposition.
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Contact the Clerk about unresolved questions.
For certified documents or a discrepancy in the online record, use the official Criminal Division contact information.
How far back do Cobb State Court records go?
The State Court Clerk’s public records-search disclaimer states that the online system includes traffic and misdemeanor cases filed from April 26, 1999, through the current year. Public case-management updates generally become available the following day.
Cases older than the online coverage period may require a records inquiry at the Clerk’s office.
Marietta, GA 30090
Misdemeanor information: (770) 528-1246
Criminal case information: (770) 528-1264
General case and traffic assistance: (770) 528-2660
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Cobb County Magistrate Court Criminal Records and Warrant Proceedings
Cobb County Magistrate Court handles functions that include arrest warrants, preliminary hearings and other qualifying criminal proceedings. Its public records search is separate from both the Superior Court and State Court portals.
The Magistrate Court has introduced an enhanced Judicial Records Search with public criminal case options.
How to use the Magistrate Court search
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Open the Magistrate Court Judicial Records Search.
Accept the online records-search disclaimer if required.
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Select Criminal Cases.
The system also includes civil matters, so choose the relevant criminal records option.
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Enter a name or known case number.
Use the Last Name, First Name and optional Middle Name fields, or search by the case identifier.
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Use case-type and date filters.
The portal provides Case Type and Case Filing Dates options that can narrow the search.
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Complete the security verification.
Follow the site’s reCAPTCHA requirements and submit the search.
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Verify what happened next.
A warrant or preliminary proceeding is not a final criminal judgment. If a case progressed to prosecution, also check the appropriate Superior or State Court docket.
Marietta, GA 30090
Main number: (770) 528-8900
Criminal Division: (770) 528-8917
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
How to Obtain Certified Cobb County Criminal Court Records
Online docket information can help identify a case, but some applications require certified judgments, dispositions, indictments or sentencing documents. The Clerk maintaining the original criminal court file is the appropriate source.
Superior Court criminal document fees
The Superior Court Clerk’s published Request Copies page lists the following prices for mailed criminal court-document requests.
| Document | Regular copy | Certified copy |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal document | $3 | $8 |
| Criminal disposition package | $5 | $14 |
The criminal disposition package is especially useful when you need more than a short case status. The Clerk describes it as including the final disposition, plea statement, plea questionnaire, indictment and applicable revocation or consent orders.
Request a Superior Court criminal record by mail
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Find the case.
Write down the defendant’s full name, case number and document or disposition required.
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Prepare a written request.
Identify whether you want the regular copy, certified copy or a criminal disposition package.
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Confirm the required payment.
The Clerk requires advance payment by cashier’s check or money order payable to Cobb Superior Court Clerk for mailed requests. Personal checks are not accepted.
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Include a return envelope.
The published instructions ask requesters to enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope.
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Mail the request to the file room.
Use the official address below and contact the office beforehand if your request is unusual or requires multiple documents.
Attn: File-room
P.O. Box 3370
Marietta, GA 30061
Can you get a certified copy online?
Yes. The Superior Court Clerk also offers an eCertification service for qualifying court records. It allows users to purchase electronically certified records and receive secured PDFs after the Clerk processes the request.
Check whether the receiving agency accepts electronic certification. The Clerk warns that some agencies may still require a paper-certified document.
State Court certified-copy fees
For misdemeanor and traffic cases maintained by State Court, the Clerk’s Criminal Division currently lists these charges:
Regular copies
Per page for records supplied by the State Court Criminal Division.
Certified copies
Stamp and seal charge, plus the per-page copy cost.
How to Request a Cobb County Police Criminal Background Check
The Cobb County Police Department Central Records Unit provides Georgia criminal-history background checks for authorized requesters.
The department currently charges $20 per criminal-history check. This is a different service from a free public court docket search.
Request a background check in person or by mail
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Open the official background-check instructions.
Visit the Cobb County Police Department’s Background Checks page.
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Download the Criminal History Request Form.
Complete the form with the subject’s accurate legal name, date of birth and other requested identifying details.
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Obtain the required consent.
If the subject is not present for the request, the person’s signature must be notarized as the department instructs. The mailed request must contain the original notarized form.
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Include identification.
Provide the required government-issued photo ID documentation for the person being checked and the requester, where applicable.
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Prepare the $20 payment.
For a mailed request, use a cashier’s check or money order payable to Cobb County Police Department. Do not mail cash or a personal check.
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Mail the package or visit Central Records.
For a mailed request, include a self-addressed stamped return envelope and follow the instructions printed on the form.
Marietta, GA 30060
Phone: (770) 499-3900
Central Records office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., excluding county holidays.
Georgia Felon Search vs. Cobb County Court Records
Georgia provides a separate statewide service called Georgia Felon Search. It uses information from the Georgia Crime Information Center to identify eligible reported felony convictions in Georgia.
A search costs $15 and requires the subject’s first and last names, date of birth and sex. The service is not limited to Cobb County.
What Georgia Felon Search can provide
- Reported Georgia felony conviction information
- Possible matches based on entered identifiers
- Available conviction, plea and sentence information
- A statewide route that is distinct from an individual county docket
What it does not include
- Misdemeanor records
- Sealed or expunged records
- Juvenile felony-history information
- Every arrest that did not result in a reportable conviction
- A guaranteed identity-confirmed fingerprint record
Georgia warns that its name-based Felon Search cannot conclusively confirm identity without fingerprint comparison. Even a “No Record Found” result does not establish that a person has no criminal history of any kind.
The $15 charge applies even if the search finds no record. If multiple possible records are returned, viewing additional individual records may incur separate charges.
Cobb County Jail Inmate Search and Booking Information
The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office operates the county Adult Detention Center and provides an official inmate-search service for people currently in custody.
The Sheriff’s Office states that its custody search can provide information such as criminal charges and bond amounts. This is not the same as the final court record or a complete criminal-history report.
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Open the Sheriff’s inmate-search page.
Use the official Cobb County Sheriff link below. If the search application is unavailable, navigate from the Adult Detention Center page.
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Enter the person’s name.
Use the available search fields to find current custody matches.
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Review the inmate details.
Compare the name and other available details, including charges, bond information or booking-related identifiers.
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Find the court case.
If a criminal court case number or charge is available, follow up using Superior, State or Magistrate Court as appropriate.
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Contact the Sheriff for custody-specific questions.
For bond procedures, facility status or other jail matters, use the Sheriff’s published contact number.
Marietta, GA 30008
Main switchboard and bond information: (770) 499-4200
Jail Administration: (770) 499-4221
Why Some Marietta, Smyrna and Other Cobb City Cases Are Missing
Cobb County State Court explains that traffic citations issued for state-law violations in unincorporated Cobb County are generally handled in State Court.
Some cities maintain separate municipal courts for matters arising within their city limits. The county identifies these municipal jurisdictions:
Marietta
Check the City of Marietta Municipal Court when a citation or case originated in city jurisdiction.
Smyrna
Some municipal traffic and ordinance cases are handled by Smyrna Municipal Court.
Kennesaw
For qualifying city-level offenses, search or contact Kennesaw Municipal Court.
Acworth
Verify Acworth municipal citations through the city’s municipal court.
Austell
Some city-issued citations are processed through Austell Municipal Court.
Powder Springs
Check Powder Springs Municipal Court for qualifying city violations.
The filing court matters more than the person’s home address. For example, a Cobb County resident could receive a traffic citation in a municipality and have no matching record in the unincorporated county State Court traffic search.
Cobb County further explains that cases requiring a jury trial may be transferred or bound over to State Court. If the municipal docket ends with such a transfer, look for the later State Court filing.
Police Reports, Georgia Prison Records, Sex Offender Registry and Federal Cases
Cobb Police Central Records
Use the Police Reports pages for accident, incident and other qualifying police reports. Reports with sensitive juvenile, domestic violence, sexual-assault or stalking information may have additional access rules.
An incident report is not a criminal conviction record.
Request a Police Incident Report ↗Georgia Department of Corrections
The Georgia DOC provides a free offender search with name, ID, case number and other search options.
It is separate from the Cobb County jail database and does not guarantee a complete lifetime criminal history.
Georgia DOC Offender Search ↗GBI Sex Offender Registry
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation manages the state’s central public sex-offender registry information, which is supplied and updated by law-enforcement agencies.
Registry information is not a complete listing of all criminal convictions.
Search Georgia Registry ↗Northern District of Georgia — PACER
Cobb County is in the Atlanta Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
Federal cases must be searched through PACER or federal court resources, not Cobb County Superior Court.
Search PACER ↗Cobb County Criminal Records Search Fees
| Service | Published fee | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Court criminal case search | Free public online search | Available docket information; not a certified background report. |
| State Court criminal case search | Free public online search | Public misdemeanor and traffic docket information. |
| Magistrate Court criminal search | Free public online search | Qualifying preliminary and Magistrate Court records. |
| Cobb Police Georgia criminal-history check | $20 | Requires appropriate identification and consent procedures. |
| Georgia Felon Search | $15 | Reported Georgia felony convictions only; extra possible matches may cost more. |
| Superior Court mailed criminal document | $3 regular / $8 certified | Published rates for mailed criminal document requests. |
| Superior Court criminal disposition package | $5 regular / $14 certified | Mailed request; see Clerk’s package description. |
| State Court copy | $0.25 per page | Criminal Division regular copy charge. |
| State Court certified copy | $3 + $0.25 per page | Stamp and seal plus applicable pages. |
| Magistrate Court copies | $0.10/page; $2.50 certification | Confirm how charges combine for a particular request. |
Fees are based on official Cobb County Clerk, Police Department and Georgia.gov guidance reviewed October 16, 2026. The cost for in-person or electronic certified copies may differ from the mailed package prices shown above.
What to Do When a Cobb County Criminal Record Search Finds Nothing
Different filing dates, court jurisdictions, name spellings and record restrictions can explain an empty search result. Use the following checks before concluding that no record exists.
| Problem | Possible explanation | Recommended next action |
|---|---|---|
| Felony not found in State Court | Superior Court handles felony prosecution | Search Superior Court Criminal Search. |
| Misdemeanor not found in Superior Court | State Court maintains most county misdemeanor cases | Search State Court Criminal Cases. |
| Recent arrest missing from State Court | No formal accusation has yet been filed and docketed | Check Magistrate Court or inquire with the proper prosecuting office. |
| Old misdemeanor missing online | State Court online coverage begins April 26, 1999 | Ask the Clerk about older records. |
| Traffic citation missing | Citation may belong to a city municipal court | Use the court named on the citation or city notice. |
| Recent docket change not visible | The online system generally posts updates on the following day | Check again and confirm urgent changes with the court. |
| Name search returns too many people | Shared names or a broad query | Add accurate middle name, date or case number information. |
| Georgia Felon Search finds no record | The service searches eligible reported Georgia felony convictions only | Use court records or the authorized Georgia history process for other record types. |
| Federal prosecution missing | Federal cases are maintained by a separate judiciary | Search PACER for the Northern District of Georgia. |
Sealed Cases, Georgia Record Restriction and Background-Check Rights
Georgia law restricts access to certain criminal-history information, including eligible restricted records, juvenile matters and specified confidential proceedings. Not every record can be lawfully obtained by every requester.
Georgia’s record-restriction and sealing procedures can differ depending on the date of arrest, case outcome, applicable law and agency responsible for the record. If you believe a case should be restricted, contact the court, the reporting agency or a qualified Georgia attorney about the appropriate process.
Arrest vs. conviction
A booking record or criminal accusation is not the same as a final conviction. Read later docket entries and dispositions.
Name-based verification
Two people may share the same name and date of birth. Georgia’s public felony-search guidance explains that fingerprints provide positive identity confirmation.
Employment and tenant screening
Using criminal records for regulated eligibility decisions can trigger Fair Credit Reporting Act requirements and other laws. This website is not a consumer reporting agency.
Official record corrections
For a court docket error, contact the Clerk. For Georgia criminal-history information errors, use Georgia Bureau of Investigation/GCIC guidance.
Cobb County Criminal Records Search FAQs
1. How can I search Cobb County criminal records for free?
2. Where do I search Cobb County felony criminal cases?
3. Where can I find Cobb County misdemeanor criminal records?
4. Can I search Cobb County criminal court cases by name?
5. Why does a Cobb County arrest not show up in State Court?
6. How much does a Cobb County Police criminal background check cost?
7. How do I get certified Cobb County criminal court records?
8. Where can I search current Cobb County jail inmates?
9. Does Georgia Felon Search include Cobb County misdemeanors?
10. Why is a Cobb County criminal record missing online?
Official Cobb County Criminal Records Search Links
The following official sources can be used for actual case searches, background-check requests, certified documents, current custody information and statewide criminal records.
- Cobb County Superior Court Clerk — Records Search
- Superior Court — Criminal Case Search
- Cobb State Court — CourtConnect Search Guide
- Cobb State Court — Criminal Records Search
- State Court Clerk — Criminal Division and Fees
- Cobb Magistrate Court — Judicial Records Search
- Magistrate Court — Direct Criminal Case Search
- Superior Court Clerk — Criminal Record Copies and Fees
- Superior Court Clerk — eCertification
- Cobb County Police — Georgia Criminal Background Checks
- Cobb County Police — Incident Reports
- Cobb County Sheriff’s Office — Adult Detention Center
- Cobb County Sheriff — Inmate Search
- Georgia.gov — Georgia Felon Search
- Georgia Bureau of Investigation — Criminal History
- Georgia Department of Corrections — Offender Search
- Georgia Bureau of Investigation — Sex Offender Registry
- U.S. District Court — Northern District of Georgia
- PACER — Federal Case Search