Valdosta Jail Roster Lookup
The Valdosta jail roster covers all inmates booked through the Lowndes County jail after arrest by Valdosta Police or other local agencies. Valdosta is the largest city in Lowndes County with about 55,667 residents, and it sits in south Georgia near the Florida state line. If you need to look up someone who was picked up in Valdosta, the search starts at the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office. They run the jail that holds people arrested in the city. The roster updates as new bookings come in and people bond out or get released. You can search for jail roster records online, by phone, or in person at the Lowndes County detention center.
Valdosta Jail Roster Quick Facts
Valdosta Arrests and Lowndes County Jail
Valdosta does not run its own jail. People arrested in Valdosta go to the Lowndes County jail. The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office handles all bookings and keeps the jail roster for the area. That includes arrests by Valdosta Police, Lowndes County deputies, and the Georgia State Patrol in the region. The jail is in Valdosta since the city is the county seat. So even though the county runs it, the facility is right in town.
The Lowndes County jail handles a large number of bookings each year. South Georgia sees steady law enforcement activity, and Valdosta being on Interstate 75 near the Florida border means a lot of pass-through traffic. Drug enforcement and warrant arrests add to the volume. When someone gets booked at the Lowndes County jail, they show up on the jail roster. The record includes the person's name, charges, bond amount if one is set, and the booking date. Some entries also list the arresting agency, which tells you if it was Valdosta Police or a county deputy.
Bond hearings for new Valdosta arrests happen in Lowndes County Magistrate Court. The magistrate judge sets bond based on the charges and the person's history. Serious cases move to Superior Court in the Southern Judicial Circuit. Lowndes County shares this circuit with several other south Georgia counties.
Valdosta Police Jail Roster Records
The Valdosta Police Department is the main law enforcement agency inside city limits. Officers respond to calls, make traffic stops, and serve warrants within Valdosta. When they arrest someone, that person gets transported to the Lowndes County jail. The arrest then shows on the county jail roster. The Valdosta Police Department does not keep its own public inmate list. You have to check the county system.
You can visit the Valdosta Police Department website for general info about the agency. The site covers crime prevention programs, community outreach, and contact numbers. But for jail roster data, the sheriff's office is the source. The Valdosta Police chief reports to the city manager, while the sheriff answers to voters. They are separate agencies that work together on public safety in Valdosta.
If you call the Valdosta Police non-emergency line, they can confirm whether they made a specific arrest. But for booking details and jail roster status, staff will direct you to the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office. That is standard in Georgia. Cities arrest people and counties hold them.
Lowndes County Sheriff Inmate Search
The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office runs the detention center and updates the jail roster as bookings happen. You can reach the sheriff's office to ask about inmates held after a Valdosta arrest. Staff can look up names over the phone during business hours. The office is the official keeper of all jail roster records in Lowndes County, which covers Valdosta and the surrounding area.
The Lowndes County Sheriff website has details about the detention center, visiting hours, and how to reach the jail. Lowndes County uses online tools for inmate lookups as well. You can search by name to see who is in the jail right now. Results show charges, booking dates, and bond info. The data refreshes as the jail processes new bookings and releases throughout the day.
Visiting the jail in person is another option. The Lowndes County detention center sits in Valdosta near the courthouse. Walk-in requests for jail roster info are handled at the front desk. Bring the full name of the person you want to look up. If they are in custody, staff can give you basic booking details.
Note: Lowndes County jail visiting hours may change without notice, so call ahead before making a trip.
Search Valdosta Jail Roster Online
Third-party sites pull Valdosta jail roster data from public records and list it online. These sites make it easy to search without calling the jail. You type in a name and see results right away. The data comes from county booking records, so it includes arrests made by Valdosta Police and other agencies in Lowndes County.
Online jail roster tools are useful but not perfect. Data can lag behind what the jail shows in real time. Names might be misspelled in the booking system, which makes them hard to find. If you do not see someone you expect to find, try variations of the name or check back later. For the most accurate Valdosta jail roster information, the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office is always the best direct source.
Valdosta State Inmate Records
People sentenced in Valdosta to state prison time leave the Lowndes County jail roster and enter the Georgia Department of Corrections system. The GDC runs a free offender search tool for state facility inmates. If someone from Valdosta got convicted and shipped to a state prison, that is where you track them. The GDC search shows the inmate's name, GDC ID, facility, and tentative parole date.
Use the first four letters of the last name when you search. Set results to show all offenders, not just active ones. People who went through the First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-66 will not show in the results. The GDC main site has links to facility info, visiting rules, and offender data for anyone no longer on the Valdosta area jail roster.
Valdosta Jail Roster VINE Alerts
VINE is a free tool that tracks jail roster changes in Lowndes County. It works for Valdosta arrests too. VINE stands for Victim Information and Notification Everyday. You sign up and get alerts when an inmate is released, transferred, or has a change in custody status. The service runs around the clock. It is private and no one knows you are tracking someone.
Go to VINELink or call 1-800-398-2892 to register. Have the inmate's name or booking ID ready. Pick how you want to hear about changes. Options include phone, email, or text. A live person is on call at all times. The TTY line for hearing impaired users is 1-866-847-1298. In a city like Valdosta, where the jail roster turns over regularly, VINE is a practical way to stay informed without calling the jail every few hours.
Open Records for Valdosta Jail Data
Georgia's Open Records Act gives you the right to request jail roster data from Lowndes County. O.C.G.A. Section 50-18-70 is the law that applies. You send a written request to the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office. They must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. After that, the county charges at the hourly rate of the lowest paid staff member who can pull the records. Copies cost $0.10 per page.
Certain records are exempt. Security procedures, medical records, and employee personal details are not public. Under O.C.G.A. Section 50-18-74, agencies that deny valid requests face fines up to $1,000 for the first offense. Repeat violations within a year can cost $2,500 each. For state prison records tied to Valdosta cases, submit requests through the GDC open records page.
Valdosta Criminal History Records
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation keeps criminal history data at the state level through the GCIC. Arrest records from the Valdosta jail roster feed into this system. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, you can check your own record for up to $15 plus fingerprinting costs. If you spot errors, ask the GCIC to fix them.
Old jail roster records can get restricted over time in Georgia. Misdemeanor arrests with no outcome get restricted after two years. Non-violent felonies take four years if there is no case disposition. Serious violent crimes wait seven years. If the GCIC restricts a record, the Lowndes County jail must do the same within 30 days of getting a written request from the individual. This matters for people who showed up on the Valdosta jail roster but whose charges were dropped or dismissed later on. The restriction process helps clear records that did not lead to a conviction.
Nearby City Jail Rosters
Valdosta sits in far south Georgia, close to the Florida line. There are no other qualifying cities with jail roster pages in the immediate area. For arrests in nearby counties, check with the local sheriff's office. If you are not sure which county handled an arrest near Valdosta, the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office can help point you in the right direction. Arrests near county borders sometimes end up in the wrong search.