Search and Court Records
How do I search Clayton County court records online?
Use the official Court Case Inquiry portal. Choose Civil Search or Criminal Case Search, then Name Search or Case Search. Name search requires a court selection and last name. Case search requires the year, two-letter type, five-digit sequence, and optional division. The system covers State, Magistrate, and Superior Court. The court records page covers the full walkthrough.
What cases are not in the online case inquiry?
The portal exclusion notice says adoption, Juvenile Court, Probate Court, protective orders, sealed cases, pre-JIS cases, and cases outside Clayton County are not accessible through the system. Probate matters go to Probate Court. Juvenile cases are confidential under Georgia statute.
What does a Clayton case number look like?
The portal breaks case numbers into Year, Type, Sequence, and optional Division. Examples include 2004 CV 03272 LW, 2005 CS 00052 07, and 2022TK03066 D. The four-character year, two-character type code, five-digit sequence, and division are entered in separate boxes on the case-search form.
Can I download court documents from the public portal?
No. The public detail page shows the case summary, parties, charges, docket entries, receipts, and calendar entries, but no downloadable PDFs in the inspected sample. Certified or regular copies can be requested electronically through the Clerk of Superior Court or other clerks for the relevant court.
What does “See Paper File” mean in a search result?
It means the case has an index entry in the online system but the full electronic record is not available online. Older pre-JIS records are excluded from the portal. Contact the appropriate clerk for paper-file inspection or copy requests. The court dockets page lists the most common docket statuses.
Clerk and Filing Questions
Where is the Clerk of Superior Court?
The Clerk of Superior Court is at the Harold R. Banke Justice Center, 9151 Tara Boulevard, Room 1CL25, Jonesboro, GA 30236-4912. The phone is (770) 477-3395. The clerk is Chanae Q. Clemons. Office details are on the Clerk of Superior Court page.
Does Clayton use Odyssey for e-filing?
Yes. The Clerk announced that effective February 1, 2024, the Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Court offices use Odyssey for civil and criminal e-filing. PeachCourt was suspended. The current portal is Georgia Odyssey eFileGA.
Where do I get real-estate records?
The Clerk of Superior Court page links Superior Court Real Estate Document Search 1985-current through GSCCCA. Real-estate e-filing is at GSCCCA e-filing. Court case records are searched separately through the Court Case Inquiry portal.
Inmate and Sheriff Questions
How do I find someone in Clayton County jail?
Use the official Clayton County Inmate Information Search. Enter a last name, optionally refine with a first initial or first name. The 48-hour, 14-day, and 31-day booking dockets are useful for recent intakes. The inmate records page covers the full process.
Does the inmate name search show released inmates?
No. The inmate page states that name search shows only active inmates. Released inmates have to be verified through the recent booking dockets, VINELink notifications, the Georgia DOC offender query, the BOP locator, or by calling the Sheriff's Office at (770) 477-4479.
What does an inmate result show?
Search results show docket number, name, age, charge, and bond amount. The detail page adds intake date, intake time, arresting agency, LE number, sex, race, height, weight, aliases, offenses by count, and bond amounts. The sample inspected by research did not show a mugshot or full date of birth.
Are bond amounts final?
No. The inmate profile disclaimer says additional fees are not included in bond amounts and that bond and fee amounts are subject to change. Always confirm by phone with the Sheriff's Office before posting bond.
Who is the Sheriff?
Sheriff Levon Allen leads the Clayton County Sheriff's Office at 9157 Tara Boulevard, Jonesboro, GA 30236. The phone is (770) 477-4479. The fax is (770) 477-4596.
Warrants and Background Questions
Can I search warrants online?
Clayton County does not publish a standalone official active-warrant search. Search criminal case inquiry and the inmate search, then call the relevant clerk or Sheriff's Office for confirmation. The warrant records page covers the official routing.
What is record restriction in Georgia?
Georgia commonly uses record restriction instead of expungement. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 governs restriction of certain criminal-history records for non-criminal-justice purposes. Restricted records are not shared with most private requesters through GCIC, but criminal-justice agencies and judicial officials may still see them. Sealing a court file is a separate motion.
Can I find a person's full criminal history in the Clayton portal?
No. The Clayton portal is a county case-inquiry system. Statewide criminal history goes through GBI/GCIC under Georgia rules. State prison and supervision data go through GDC. Federal cases go through PACER and the Northern District of Georgia. The criminal records page summarizes the right routes.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Questions
Where do I get a marriage license?
Marriage licenses are handled by Clayton County Probate Court at Annex Building 3, 121 South McDonough Street, Jonesboro, GA 30236. Probate is not at the Tara Boulevard court campus. Detail is on the marriage and divorce records page.
Where do I file divorce?
Divorce is filed in Superior Court. Georgia gives Superior Court exclusive jurisdiction over divorce. The Clerk of Superior Court at 9151 Tara Boulevard handles the filing. Certified divorce decrees come from the same clerk.
Are probate records in the case inquiry?
No. The Court Case Inquiry exclusion notice says Probate Court cases are not accessible through that portal. Use the Probate Court page and the Georgia Probate Records portal instead.
What is State Court?
State Court is a limited-jurisdiction court. It handles civil actions not exclusively vested in Superior Court, misdemeanors, and traffic violations prosecuted by the Solicitor-General. The official Clayton State Court page covers its scope.
What is Superior Court?
Superior Court is Georgia's general-jurisdiction trial court. It hears felony criminal cases, civil suits, divorce, equity, title to land, and appeals from lower courts. The Superior Court page lists the five Clayton judges and the court's role.
What is Magistrate Court?
Magistrate Court handles small claims, dispossessory, garnishment, warrants, and first appearances. Georgia caps Magistrate civil claims at $15,000 under O.C.G.A. § 15-10-2. Magistrate WA case-type entries can appear in the criminal name search results.
Public Records and Open Records
Are court records public in Georgia?
Generally yes, unless sealed or restricted by law. Uniform Superior Court Rule 21 says court records are public unless access is limited by law or by the rule's procedure. Agency records sit under the Georgia Open Records Act. The public records page covers the framework.
How do I request non-court public records?
Clayton County uses GovQA for open-records requests. Describe the records clearly. Agencies do not have to create a new report or compilation if no such record exists. Reasonable cost recovery applies under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71.
What should I expect at courthouse security?
All persons and bags are subject to search. Visitors pass through a metal detector. Firearms are prohibited in any Clayton County Court, even for carry-license holders. Law-enforcement officers on official duty must check firearms with Security on entering.
How do I pay a Clayton County traffic ticket?
Most state-court traffic citations are payable through the Pay Traffic Citations link routed through the Clerk of State Court. Some offenses require a court appearance. The traffic court records page covers the pay-or-contest workflow.
Federal Cases and Other Systems
Where do I find federal cases tied to Clayton County?
Federal cases sit with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Filings and dockets are searched through PACER. Federal bankruptcy cases sit with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District. Appeals go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Where do I find state prison records?
Use the Georgia DOC offender query for state prison and state supervision records. The Clayton county jail and the Georgia state prison system are separate.