Heard County Background Information
Heard County is a county found in the state of Georgia. It had a population of 11,412 in 2020. Heard County's seat is Franklin.
The county was founded on December 22, 1830.
It was named for Stephen Heard, elected President of the Council on February 18, 1781, thus, in the absence of Governor Howley, becoming Governor de facto.
Heard County Arrest Records
In Heard County, arrest records are kept on every single crime within the jurisdictional area. All Heard County arrests are separated into property crimes and violent crimes. There were 17 violent and 119 property crimes in the year 2021 in Heard County. Heard County Sheriff's Office can be contacted at:
Heard County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff: Ross Henry
11820 Highway 100 North,
Franklin, GA 30217
Phone: (706) 675-3329
Fax: (706) 675-0737
Heard County Criminal Records
Heard County keeps a record of criminal activities in the form of criminal reports. These records cover murders, rapes, burglaries, arson, motor vehicle theft, assaults, and crimes of sexual nature. Records on criminalities such as inmate and jail records are routinely updated in Heard County. Criminal records can be accessed by members of the public using a search tool. Using the tool, people living in Heard County can search for any person in jail or on release in the surrounding area.
The Heard County Police Department is required to keep an update list of all sex offenders in the area. This does not purely include those living in Heard County, but those working, attending school, and incarcerated too. This up-to-date register is then made available to the public, as is the fundamental right of anyone living in Heard County. Residents of Heard County can therefore search for any sex offenders within a certain distance of their homes. People must simply enter their zip code, or the zip code of their desired location, to perform the search. The website will then list all sex offenders found within a given radius of this pinpointed location in Heard County. Residents can also look for specific offenders. These include any Heard County incarcerated or non-compliant offender.
Heard County Court Records
The county courthouse oversees all criminal, family, and civil cases in Heard County. The court clerk maintains all Heard County records. Members of the public in Heard County can purchase court records at:
Heard County Courthouse
215 East Court Square
P.O. Box 249
Franklin, GA 30217
Phone: (706) 675-3301
Fax: (706) 675-6138
Any contested lower court case can be reviewed by the Court of Appeals in Georgia, including Heard County. These lower courts often refer to one of the 159 superior or trial courts found across Georgia’s 159 counties, including Heard County.
NOTE - In Heard County, standard records may be sent to residents by fax, email, or mail once payment has been received. On the contrary, mail is the only delivery method for certified or official records.
Heard County Public Records
In the state of Georgia, vital records are kept on each and every resident. These records include residents' most important life events. For example, these vital records usually involve births, marriages, deaths, and divorces. Heard County helps the state of Georgia in collecting these vital records. Counties are often charged with collecting documents and passing on copies to the state government. Counties like Heard County store all marriage records in Georgia. Throughout history, counties like Heard County have also been in charge of collecting both birth and death records. The records in question include birth certificates, death certificates, divorce decrees, marriage licenses, divorce certificates, marriage certificates, and more. One central registry holds all state vital records, including those from Heard County. Heard County records can then be used for statistical analysis.
Heard County vital records can be copied and accessed by members of the public, as is their right. This is because the state of Georgia passed the Open Records Act back in 1959, giving members of the public the fundamental right to access any and all public records. The most recent change to this law came in 2012. To obtain public records in Heard County, a person must enquire at:
Heard County Clerk’s Office
Clerk: Tammy Teal
215 East Court Square
P.O. Box 249
Franklin, GA 30217
Phone: (706) 675-3301
Fax: (706) 675-6138
Email: tteal@heardcountyga.com
Records are not free in Heard County. The first birth record copy in Heard County is $25.
NOTE - Anyone looking to obtain records in-person should be aware that the office opens between 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. A valid photo ID is needed if a person wishes to obtain records. Acceptable IDs include a driver's license or state ID. A person must also put their request to access public access in writing in Heard County.
