How to Request Records from the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office (Forms, Fees, and Timeline)

Need records from the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office? The fastest route is their Open Records Request form. This guide covers where to send it, how to choose your timeline, and what you'll pay for copies and administrative costs.

Mail your completed form to 120 Prison Farm Road, Valdosta, GA 31601. Have questions before you submit? Call (229) 671-2900. The current Sheriff is Ashley Paulk.

• ✓ Email your completed request form to sorecords@lowndescounty.com
• ✓ Fax your completed request form to (229) 333-5141

The form asks how quickly you need access. You can request to review or receive copies within three business days (if the records are available). Or you can indicate you don't need them that fast and write in your preferred timetable - useful for broader requests where a flexible deadline might reduce back-and-forth.

For copies, the Sheriff’s form lists a charge of 10 cents per page for letter- or legal-sized documents. If what you’re requesting isn’t standard paper (or you’re asking for electronic media), the form states you may be charged the actual cost. It also notes that certified copies or other specialized records may have higher fees as allowed by law.

You may also see a different copy rate referenced elsewhere in Lowndes County materials: the county forms page states there will be a $0.50 per copy charge for copies made at the county office. If you’re deciding where you’ll physically make copies, that difference can affect your total.

Larger requests can mean a larger upfront bill. If the estimated cost exceeds $500.00, the Sheriff's Office will ask you to prepay all costs before they start processing.

1. Expect an administrative fee when staff time is needed - the form explains you may be charged administrative fees for the cost to search, retrieve, copy, and supervise access to the requested documents.
2. Know how the hourly rate is picked - the administrative fee is based on the hourly rate of the lowest-paid employee who has the necessary skills and training to respond to your request.
3. Use the 15-minute cushion to your advantage - there is no charge for the first fifteen minutes it takes to respond to the request.

Practical Tips

• ✓ Be very specific about what you’re requesting - the form says detailed descriptions help reduce administrative and copying charges; if you’re searching by name, include date of birth, SSN, and other identifying info, and include a case number and address if you have it.
• ✓ Use the official submission channels - email the completed form to sorecords@lowndescounty.com (or use the other methods listed on the form) so it gets routed correctly.
• ✓ Ask for the format that keeps costs down - since non-standard documents or electronic media can be charged at actual cost, request the simplest format that meets your needs whenever possible.

Pick the timeline that matches how urgent this actually is. If you can wait, writing in a reasonable timetable often makes things smoother than demanding three business days for a request that takes longer to pull together.

If the estimate comes in above $500.00, you'll need to prepay before they process the request. At that point, you can either pay upfront or narrow your request to bring the estimate down.

Selected the three-business-day option but the records can't be produced that fast? You'll get a timetable for release. If that timeline doesn't work, your best move is to tighten the scope of what you're asking for. A narrower request means less staff time, lower administrative costs, and a faster turnaround.