Bartow County, Georgia State Court Records
Bartow County court records include case details, documents, and other materials filed with or created by the county's superior, magistrate, and municipal courts during trial proceedings. The records are kept by court clerks and can be released to members of the public who request them.
People request court records to obtain documents for other activities, from tax filings and inheritance proceedings to criminal background checks and name changes. They may also review case files and details to get updates about personal or public lawsuits. Additionally, lawyers and judges refer to old court cases when preparing legal arguments or judicial decisions.
Are Bartow County Court Records Public?
Yes. Georgia Superior Court Uniform Rules, Rule 21 declares that every record created by superior courts within the state, including Bartow County, is presumed open to the public unless protected by law or court rule. Other courts follow the same principle.
However, certain case files and details are inaccessible to the public and may only be released to parties authorized by statute, including record subjects, case parties, and attorneys. These include sealed court records, child support and visitation files, records related to juvenile prosecutions, and information about mental health commitments. Also, protected personal identifiers, such as bank account names and Social Security numbers, are usually redacted when they appear in publicly available documents.
What Information is Available in Bartow County Court Records?
The following can be retrieved from Bartow County court records:
- Case identifiers, such as party names and case numbers
- Court name and location
- Names of presiding judges
- Attorney information
- Case type (civil, criminal, probate, etc.)
- Defendant's date of birth (criminal cases)
- Offense and charges
- Dockets (case events, including descriptions and dates)
- Judgment, judicial opinions, and orders
- Motions, complaints, affidavits, indictments, etc.
- Evidence
- Witness statements
- Court transcripts and recordings
- Search and arrest warrants
- Sentencing information
Bartow County Court Records Search
Inspecting or purchasing court records involves different processes, depending on the record custodian and search objective.
- Superior Court Records
The Superior Court, the county's highest trial court, adjudicates civil cases worth more than $15,000, family law matters (divorce, child custody, adoption, etc.), and criminal proceedings punishable by jail time. The Clerk of Superior has custodial authority over records created during these cases.
The clerk's office provides various methods for reviewing basic case records, obtaining and viewing public court documents, and purchasing certified copies of case files.
The public has free access to the third-party-hosted Case Management Search system. The online system, searchable by party name, contains only basic case information, such as case IDs, party names, offenses (for criminal matters), and case events and dates. It also lists events that occurred throughout the case's timeline, including the description, date, and code of each proceeding.
Viewing case files and more detailed case information involves visiting the clerk's office or using another online system hosted by a different third party. Unlike the Case Management site, individuals must create an account to use this portal.
However, purchasing certified copies of court files online requires a visit to the eCertification Portal of the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA). Site access is only available to registered users.
Additionally, individuals can visit or contact the Clerk of the Superior Court's office for questions about obtaining court documents in person or by mail.
- Magistrate Court Records
Bartow County's Magistrate Court presides over small claims that do not exceed $15,000, landlord/tenant disputes, abandoned mobile homes and motor vehicles, property foreclosures, garnishment actions, and bad checks. It also handles bond and preliminary hearings, the issuance of search and arrest warrants, and county ordinance violations.
Individuals can contact the court directly using the following details to confirm its record-viewing and copy request methods:
112 West Cherokee Avenue
Suite 101
Cartersville, GA 30120
Phone: (770) 387-5070
Fax: (770) 387-5073
- Municipal Court Records
Municipal Courts within the county, such as the Cartersville Municipal Court, oversee traffic infractions and municipal ordinance violations. One can contact their local municipal court for inquiries about court case records in its clerk's custody.
Fees for Court Records in Bartow County
Clerks do not charge individuals for the in-person inspection of Bartow County court records. However, there are fees, such as these, associated with purchasing copies of court documents (certified and non-certified) and using certain online portals:
- Clerk of Superior Court's certified copies: $2.50 for the first page and 50 cents per additional page
- Clerk of Superior Court's uncertified copies: 50 cents per page
- Magistrate Court's certified copies: $5
- GSCCA monthly subscription (regular account): $14.95
- GSCCA monthly subscription (premium account): $29.95
- GSCCA certified search: $15 each
Interested parties can contact the respective clerk's office directly to confirm purchase fees.
Bartow County Courthouse Locations
Bartow County is served by superior, magistrates, and municipal courts. One can find and contact these courts using the following information:
Bartow County Superior Court
135 West Cherokee Avenue
Suite 233
Cartersville, GA 30120
Phone: (770) 387-5025
Fax: (770) 606-2389
Bartow County Magistrate Court
Bartow County Annex Building
112 West Cherokee Avenue
Suite 101
Cartersville, GA 30120
Phone: (770) 387-5070
Fax: (770) 387-5073
Bartow County Probate Court
135 West Cherokee Avenue
Suite 243-A
Cartersville, GA 30120
Phone: (770) 387-5075
Fax: (770) 387-5074
Municipal Courts
Adairsville Municipal Court
116 Public Square
Adairsville, GA 30103
Phone: (770)773-3451 ex.102
Cartersville Municipal Court
10 North Public Square
Cartersville, GA 30120
Phone: (770) 607-6307
Fax: (770) 607-1164
Emerson Municipal Court
700 Highway 293
Emerson, GA 30137
Phone: (770) 386-8366
Fax: (770) 386-6697
Euharlee Municipal Court
30 Burge's Mill Road
Euharlee, GA 30145
Phone: (770) 386-1542
Kingston Municipal Court
30 West Main Street
Kingston, GA 30145
Phone: (770) 336-5905
Fax: (770) 336-5904
White Municipal Court
29 West Rocky Street
White, GA 30184
Phone: (770) 382-5466
Fax: (770) 382-2242
Criminal Records Access in Bartow County
Bartow County criminal records are produced during criminal justice activities, such as prosecutions, arrests, pre-trial detention, and traffic citations.
Records generated during prosecutions and citations are available through the court with relevant jurisdiction. However, arrests may not appear in court records because some suspects are cleared before they are charged.
The Georgia Crime Information Center, an arm of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, provides a criminal history records search service to members of the public. The service produces both arrest, prosecution, and post-conviction details. However, sealed and expunged records are exempted.
Additionally, the statewide criminal history check is available only to individuals seeking their own records, law enforcement agencies, employers, and licensing organizations. To request another person's criminal history, Georgia law mandates the search subject's written consent.
The Georgia Technology Authority also provides a statewide felony search for felony offenses only.
Bartow County Probate Records
Bartow County Probate Court records are files and documents produced or collected when the court handles the probate of wills, the administration of estates for deceased persons and minors, and guardianships and conservatorships. The court also presides over will contests, disputes involving appointed court administrators, and other estate-related issues.
Additionally, the Bartow County Probate Court handles some non-adjudicatory processes, such as issuing marriage licenses and providing vital records (copies of birth and death certificates).
Probate records can be obtained by contacting the court.
Bartow County Family Court Records
Family court cases, heard by the Superior Court, include divorce, child support, custody, alimony, and parental rights. Records created during these cases are under the custody of the Clerk of the Superior Court's office.
Individuals can contact the office to view or obtain case files. The office's Case Management Search system provides basic case information without files, while the GSCCCA eCertification Portal can be used to order certified copies online.
However, searchers must note that certain family law records, such as adoption-related files and documents, are not public. Only authorized entities, including case parties and certain government agencies, may view them.
Federal Court Records in Bartow County
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (Rome Division), like Bartow County courts, creates records when it hears federal cases.
These cases, which pertain to matters under the U.S. Constitution and laws enacted by Congress, are not limited to Bartow County residents. Instead, they cover matters related to the U.S. government, disputes between two or more states, and federal law violations in Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Murray, Paulding, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield counties.
To obtain federal court records from this court, the public can contact the clerk's office directly or use the Public Access to Court Electronic Records system, the federal government's online case search portal.
