Paulding County, Georgia Court Records
Paulding County court records, maintained by various custodians, serve as official repositories of judicial activity and provide documented evidence of case outcomes. They are a combination of filings and materials created by courts and submitted by the parties to a case.
The public, using systems and channels that custodians provide, can search these records to see the progress of court cases, order certified copies of judgments, such as adoption decrees, to use for other legal processes, or confirm compliance with a court order. Public and private entities also rely on court records to check the criminal histories of prospective licensees, employees, or tenants.
Court record lookups happen through methods provided by the state judiciary and local custodians, including the clerks of the superior, magistrate, and probate courts.
Are Paulding County Court Records Public?
Yes. While court case files are not subject to the Georgia Open Records Act, common law and specific court rules, such as Rule 21 of the Uniform Rules of Superior Courts of the State of Georgia, establish access to case-related records.
However, that access does not apply to materials protected from public disclosure by federal law, state regulations, court rules, or court orders. For example, custodians, in obedience to these laws or rules, may completely deny or restrict access to juvenile records, names of confidential police informants, and full Social Security and passport numbers. Restricted details about minor children involved in child custody and visitation proceedings, mental health reports submitted during involuntary commitments to mental health institutions, and warrants tied to active police investigations can also be withheld from the public.
What Information is Available in Paulding County Court Records?
The following are accessible contents of Paulding County court records:
- Case title, party names, attorney details, case numbers, filing dates, and names of judges
- Dockets listing the descriptions and dates of case events and filings
- Paid and outstanding court costs
- Filed documents, including petitions, motions, wills, property records, tax filings, and other items submitted during pretrial and trial proceedings
- Criminal case records, such as arrest information, indictments, warrants, complaints, affidavits, charges, and bond details
- Judgments, orders, rulings, verdicts, and sentencing information
Paulding County Court Records Search
Available methods for accessing Paulding County court records include online search portals, mail-in requests, in-person inspection, and telephone inquiries. However, the exact method to use differs by court custodians, and the office to approach depends on whether the case was handled by the Superior, State, Magistrate, Probate, or Juvenile Court.
Paulding County Superior and State Courts
The Clerk of Superior Court, which manages both Superior and State Court records, provides a case search portal that members of the public can access for free to search cases from both courts. Using the web application involves selecting the civil or criminal search option, choosing the specific court, and running a name or case number search. There are also checkboxes for domestic child support and habeas corpus cases.
The portal's search results show details, such as case number, case style (case title), case status, filing dates, disposition dates, and case type. Details about case parties, including names, addresses, designation (plaintiff or defendant), and whether they were served, are also available. Attorney details displayed for each case include the name of the attorney, their address, and who they represent. Additionally, the proceedings and events section covers descriptions of case hearings and filings, and in some cases, images of case documents.
Obtaining physical copies of court records or viewing case files in person requires record seekers to contact the office of the clerk directly at the following address:
Clerk of Superior Court
280 Constitution Boulevard
Room 1023
Dallas, GA 30132
Phone: (770) 443-7527
Fax: (770) 505-3863
Records that reside with the office include all criminal cases (the Superior Court handles felony matters, and the State Court focuses on misdemeanors and traffic citations) and civil cases worth more than $15,000.
Paulding County Magistrate Court
The Magistrate Court serves as the county's limited jurisdiction court and oversees civil claims of $15,000 or less, garnishments, landlord-tenant proceedings, and abandoned vehicle matters. Magistrate judges can also issue arrest and search warrants, conduct probate court proceedings, and handle preliminary hearings for criminal matters. It can only determine guilt or innocence for county ordinance violations.
People interested in viewing the court's files or ordering copies can contact it using the following address and phone details for inquiries:
Magistrate Court
First Floor
280 Constitution Boulevard
Room 1109
Dallas, GA 30132
Phone: (770) 443-7533
Fax: (770) 443-8980
Municipal Case Records
The Court Services Division of the Dallas City Government adjudicates misdemeanors within the city's boundaries. It also has jurisdiction over county ordinance violations and state traffic offenses that occur within the city.
People can contact the division using these details to ask about viewing or obtaining case files:
Court Services Division
120 Main Street
Dallas, GA 30132
Fees for Court Records in Paulding County
Using the case search tool or viewing case files on-premises requires no fee. However, clerks charge the following fees for producing and certifying copies of case documents:
- Plain copies: $1 per page
- Certification: $2.50 for the first page and 50 cents for every subsequent page
Paulding County Courthouse Locations
These are the addresses and contact details of the courts serving Paulding County:
Paulding County Superior Court
280 Constitution Boulevard
Dallas, GA 30132
Phone: (770) 443-7636
Paulding County State Court
280 Constitution Boulevard
Room 3132
Dallas, Georgia 30132
Main Office Number
Phone: (770) 443-7536
Fax: (770) 443-7555
Paulding County Magistrate Court
280 Constitution Boulevard
First Floor
Room 1109
Dallas, GA 30132
Phone: (770) 443-7533
Fax: (770) 443-8980
Paulding County Probate Court
280 Constitution Boulevard
Room 2009
Dallas, GA 30132
Phone: (770) 443-7541
Fax: (770) 443-7631
Dallas Municipal Court
120 Main Street
Dallas, GA 30132
Phone: (770) 443-8100 ext. 3
Hiram Municipal Court
217 Main Street
Hiram, GA 30141
Phone: (770) 943-3726 ext. 2003
Braswell Municipal Court
6997 Braswell Mountain Road
Braswell, GA 30153
Phone: (770) 684-7979
Criminal Records Access in Paulding County
Criminal records include information and filings that document the prosecution of people accused of breaking state laws. An individual's criminal record also comprises records created outside courts, such as arrest information, detention details, and post-conviction records like parole and probation.
The Georgia Crime Information Center, a division of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation that serves as the state's criminal record repository, provides comprehensive criminal history reports to qualifying members of the public. The fingerprint-based check service is only available to authorized entities, subjects of records, and people with written consent from subjects. However, any member of the public can use the Georgia Felon Search service, a name-based background service, to look up full criminal histories related to felony convictions.
The public also has options to gather elements of criminal records separately, as court case searches can help one determine outcomes of criminal cases, and arresting agencies can dispense arrest reports.
For example, the case search system containing superior and state court case information shows members of the public details, such as offense and arrest date, details of case proceedings and filed documents, charges, and case outcomes.
Paulding County Probate Records
The Paulding County Probate Court has jurisdiction over the probate of wills, administration of estates, guardianships of minors, and conservatorships involving incapacitated adults. Beyond its judicial mandate, the court also issues marriage and weapons carry licenses.
The court allows people to search its estate records, including case filings and court case information, using its third-party vendor's search tool. People can search the court's database by name to view the names of case parties and their connections to the deceased persons, the dates of each decedent's passing, and filed documents, such as wills and petitions to probate wills.
The public can also contact the office to inquire about ordering or viewing physical case files, as documents hosted online are not considered official. Additionally, the court dispenses certified copies of marriage licenses, vital records (birth and death certificates), and weapons carry licenses.
Paulding County Family Court Records
Family case records originating from Paulding County family matters heard by the Superior Court are maintained by the Clerk of Superior Court. These cases include divorce, spousal support, child custody and visitation, child support, and parental matters (parental rights).
People can access related records using the clerk's online case system, which can display certain documents, such as petitions and judgments. The office can also provide copies of documents to members of the public who request them.
However, records exposing sensitive information about minors, especially information related to adoptions, child support, and visitation, will not be released to the public.
Federal Court Records in Paulding County
Paulding County's federal cases run through the Atlanta division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. This court handles matters like disputes between residents of different states, cases involving the federal government as a party, and federal crimes. Bankruptcy proceedings arising in Paulding County are also federal cases handled through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
Individuals can view records originating from these cases by using the free, public access terminals available at the local federal courthouse in Atlanta. Record seekers can also request copies of case records in person or using other methods provided by the clerk.
For remote access, the federal judiciary allows the public to access records through its online system known as PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records). People who intend to use this system must register and pay the required access fees as outlined on PACER's pricing page.
