Criminal Statistics
Derived from the FBI's national program, the Georgia Uniform Crime Reporting Program publishes an annual crime statistical report of statewide index crimes. According to the 2017 report, Clayton county law enforcement agencies reported 13,886 index offenses in 2017. A further look at the data revealed property crimes to be the most reported subset of offenses, accounting for 88% of all the index crimes.
Larceny-theft was recorded to be the most recurring criminal offense with 7,690 reported incidents within the 12-month span, followed by incidents of burglary and motor vehicle theft which were recorded 2,585 and 1,760 times respectively. On the other hand, violent crimes including aggravated assault, robbery, rape, and murder constituted 13% of the reported index crimes. Aggravated assault was recorded to be the fourth most reported offense with 963 incidents followed by robbery and rape which were reported 627 and 202 times each.
Criminal Records
The Clayton County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement services to county residents as well as general information regarding criminal activities within county limits. Requests for criminal records may be directed to the Sheriff's office or the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which serves as the central repository of criminal history information of the state. However, while the Sheriffs Office conducts limited, name-based record searches and provides fingerprinting services, the State Bureau exclusively processes fingerprint-based record requests.
How to Get Criminal Records
The Records Section of the Clayton County Sheriff's Office processes requests for criminal records as well as arrest records, police reports, and other crime-related records/reports.
Criminal records can be obtained by requesting name-based or fingerprint-based record requests from the Division in person or via mail.
Name-based criminal record requests require the requestor to provide the name, date of birth, gender and social security number of the subject. Requestors are also required to obtain a written consent form from the subject of the record as well as present a government-issued ID card in order to confirm their eligibility to access the requested record.
To obtain fingerprint-based criminal records, the subject of the record will have to schedule a fingerprinting appointment with the Records Section at (770) 477-4404. Both name-based and fingerprint-based record requests may be directed to:
Clayton County Sheriff's Office
9157 Tara Blvd.
Jonesboro, GA 30236
(770) 471-1122
Requests for police and incident reports may also be made to the above-mentioned address. In this case, the requesting party will be required to provide information such as the date and place of the incident, the names of any victims or complainant involved, as well as a brief description of the event. To access a report, requestors may be required to present a photo-ID and pay any applicable copy fees.
How to find Sex Offender Information
The Clayton County Sheriffs Office operates a Sex Offender Registration and Tracking Unit which registers registered sex offenders residing within county limits. The unit maintains a registry of these offenders which may be viewed by county residents at the Clayton County Sheriff's Office. Alternatively, interested persons may search the Georgia State Sex Offender Registry for information regarding sex offenders in Clayton. Offenders may be searched by name, address, incarceration status and proximity to specific locations within the county. The Bureau also provides Community Notification services to interested registrants.
Where and How to get Inmate and Jail Information
All inmate and jail information regarding the Clayton county correctional facility and its resident detainees are managed and disseminated by the Jail Operations Division of the Clayton County Sheriff's Office. Queries relating to the facility, as well as inmate welfare, contact information, visitation schedules, and primary charges may be made to the Jail Information Unit at (770) 477-4413, or information may be obtained on the Inmate Services Page of the Sheriff's website. Related inquiries may also be made to the Sheriff's office in person or via mail - however, inmate-specific information will require details of the detainee, including their name, date of birth, arrest and booking date or their unique inmate number.
Court Records
Where and How to Get Court Records
The Clayton County Superior Circuit Court hears all criminal, civil and probate cases within its jurisdiction and maintains records of these cases as required by law. The office of the Superior Court Clerk processes requests for non-confidential court records and provides these records to interested persons with reasonable intent.
To obtain a record, interested parties may query the courthouse via mail or in person. The requestor will be required to provide information such as the name of the plaintiff, defendant or litigant, the date the case was filed, the case file number of the record and summary details of the case type and judgment. Mail-in requests will also require the requestor to send a stamped, self-addressed envelope along with the written request stating all required details of the record.
Both in-person and mail record requests may be made to:
Clayton County Superior Court
Harold R. Banke Justice Center
9151 Tara Boulevard,
Room 1CL19,
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Phone: (770) 477-3405
Location of all Courts in the County
Listed below are the addresses and contact information of all the courthouses in Clayton County, Georgia:
Clayton County Superior Court
Harold R. Banke Justice Center
9151 Tara Boulevard,
Room 1CL19,
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Phone: (770) 477-3405
State Court of Clayton County
Harold R. Banke Justice Center
9151 Tara Boulevard,
Room 1CL181,
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Phone: (678) 479-5521
Fax: (770) 472-8159
Clayton County Juvenile Court
Clayton County Youth Development and Justice Center
9163 Tara Boulevard,
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Phone: (770) 477-3270
Fax: (770) 477-3255
Probate Court of Clayton County
Annex Building 3
121 South McDonough Street,
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Phone: (770) 477-3299
Clayton County Magistrate Court
Harold R. Banke Justice Center
9151 Tara Boulevard,
Room 2TC08,
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Phone: (770) 477-3443
Forest Park Environmental Court
785 Forest Parkway,
Forest Park,
GA 30297
Phone: (404) 608-2300
Fax: (404) 608-2306
Municipal Court of Forest Park
320 Cash Memorial Boulevard,
Forest Park, GA 30297
Phone: (404) 608-2363
Fax: (404) 608-2377
Municipal Court of Jonesboro
170 South Main Street,
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Phone: (770) 478-7407
Fax: (678) 479-1827
Municipal Court of Lake City
5455 Jonesboro Road,
Lake City, GA 30260
Phone: (404) 366-8037
Municipal Court of Lovejoy
2296 Talmadge Road,
P.O. Box 220,
Lovejoy, GA 30250
Phone: (770) 610-9748
Fax: (770) 471-6499
Municipal Court of Morrow
1500 Morrow Road,
Morrow, GA 30260
Phone: (770) 960-3012
Fax: (678) 422-5031
Municipal Court of Riverdale
7200 Church Street,
Riverdale, GA 30274
Phone: (770) 991-0462
Fax: (770) 909-8914
Vital Records
The Georgia Department of Public Health serves as the state repository of birth records, death records, marriage records, and divorce records. The Department, through the Office of Vital Records, issues copies of these records to interested and eligible persons. At county level, this service is offered by the Clayton County Board of Health as well as the County Probate Court. The eligibility requirements for accessing the record is the same across the board.
Where and How to get Divorce records
Records of divorces granted by the Clayton County Superior Court are maintained and issued by the office of the Superior Court Clerk. Interested persons may obtain these records by querying the office via mail or in person. Whichever the case, the requesting party will be required to provide information regarding the divorce such as the names of the spouses, the place and date of the divorce as well as the case file number of the record.
Requestors may also be charged a copy fee and will be required to present (or provide a copy of) their government-issued photo ID. Both in-person and mail requests may be made to:
Harold R. Banke Justice Center
9151 Tara Boulevard
Room 1CL25
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Phone: (770) 477-3395
Where and How to get Marriage Records
The Clayton County Probate Court is charged with issuing marriage licenses to intending couples within county limits. As per state laws, records of marriages licensed by the court are retained by the office of the court clerk or judge.
Interested persons may request copies of marriage records via mail or in person. The requestor will be required to provide the names of both parties before marriage, the date and place of the marriage, a self-addressed and stamped envelope as well as a money order in the amount of $10.
Requests should be made to:
Clayton County Probate Court
Annex Building 3
121 South McDonough Street
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Where and How to get Birth and Death Records
Requests for Clayton County birth and death records are processed by the Vital Records Division of the Clayton County Board of Health. These requests may only be made in-person to the Division of vital records. To obtain a copy of a birth or death certificate, the requestor will be required to complete and sign/notarize the request form which will be provided as well as provide:
- Full name of the subject of the record (including any maiden names if applicable)
- Date and place of birth or death
- Full name of the subjects mother and father(including mother's maiden name)
- The requester's relationship to the subject of the record.
- A payment of $25 per record requested
The Vital Records Division is located at:
Clayton County Board of Health
1117 Battle Creek Road,
Jonesboro GA
(678) 610-7199
In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location, including the city, county, or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
Are Property Records Open to the Public in Clayton County?
Clayton County property records are considered public under the Georgia Open Records Act. Agencies maintaining these property records are bound by law to accept requests and issue copies to requestors upon payment of required copy fees.
Where and How to Find Property Records in Clayton County
The Clayton County Tax Assessor's Office maintains property records in the county. Responsibilities for the Tax Assessor's Office include the assessment and valuation of all real properties in the county and issuing copies of related records to interested requestors. The office provides this information online and offline.
Persons seeking Clayton County property records may contact the Tax Assessor's Office with details of the records, including names, addresses, and other relevant details. All requests should be submitted to the:
Clayton County Tax Assessor's Office
Annex 2
Second Floor
121 South McDonough Street
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Phone: (770) 477-3285
Fax: (770) 477-4566
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Mondays to Fridays
Alternatively, requestors may find property records at the Clayton County Clerk of Superior Court. Records obtained from the Clerk's Office cost $1 per page if received by mail. In-person requests cost 50 cents for each page. In addition, certified and exemplified copies cost $2.50 for the first page and 50 cents for each additional page. Record seekers may submit requests to the Clerk's Office using the following information:
Clayton County Clerk of Superior Court
Harold R. Banke Justice Center
9151 Tara Boulevard
Room 1CL25
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Phone: (770) 477-3395
How to Look Up Clayton Property Records
The Tax Assessor's Office provides a property search for real and personal property. Persons looking for online information may provide a parcel ID number, bill number, owner's name, parcel address number, or street name. Only one search option is required at a time. To use the owner's name search, requestors must note that a last name is required. The office also provides an advanced search option with more criteria, such as tax details, year built, sale information, square footage, land use code, bathrooms, bedrooms, acreage, and tax district. Lastly, the Assessor's Office provides a map search for geographical details of properties searched.
Location of Clayton Property Assessors
Clayton County Tax Assessor's Office
Annex 2
Second Floor
121 South McDonough Street
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Phone: (770) 477-3285
Fax: (770) 477-4566
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Mondays to Fridays
