Sandy Springs Court Records
Sandy Springs court records are split between two courts: the city's own Municipal Court handles local ordinance violations and traffic matters, while Fulton County Superior Court maintains civil, criminal, and family case records for residents of Sandy Springs. Both courts serve a city of about 105,505 people in north Fulton County, and most case records are public under Georgia's open records law. This guide walks you through where to search, what you can find, and how the process works whether you look online or visit in person.
Sandy Springs Quick Facts
Sandy Springs Municipal Court Records
The Sandy Springs Municipal Court handles cases that arise within city limits. This includes traffic citations, code violations, and misdemeanor offenses that fall under city ordinances. The court sits at City Hall, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs, GA 30328. If you need to check a case, pay a fine, or look up a hearing date, the municipal court is your first stop for anything tied to local ordinance enforcement.
The court's website at sandyspringsga.gov/municipal-court lets you access basic case information and pay tickets online. For more detailed records or certified copies, you'll need to contact the court clerk directly. The phone number and hours are listed on that site, and staff can walk you through what documents are available and what the copy fees are.
Sandy Springs Municipal Court does not handle felony cases, divorces, or civil suits above the magistrate threshold. Those go to Fulton County courts. So if someone was charged with a felony in Sandy Springs, the case file lives with Fulton County, not the city.
The city's court page shows case search tools and contact information. Sandy Springs Municipal Court posts this information directly.
The municipal court site lets you check open cases, pay fines, and find court dates without calling in.
Fulton County Superior Court and Sandy Springs Records
Most serious Sandy Springs court records live with Fulton County Superior Court. This includes felony criminal cases, civil lawsuits, divorces, child custody filings, and real estate documents. The Fulton County Clerk of Superior Court manages all of these. Their main office is at 136 Pryor Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303. You can reach them by phone at (404) 613-5313.
The Fulton County Clerk runs an online search portal where you can look up cases by name, case number, or filing date. Most civil and criminal filings are searchable this way. For real estate records like deeds and liens, Georgia's statewide system is more useful - the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, or GSCCCA, keeps records from all 159 counties in one place at gsccca.org.
Sandy Springs sits entirely within north Fulton County. All felony arrests, major civil disputes, and family law matters filed by or against Sandy Springs residents go through Fulton County Superior Court. If you need a certified copy of a court document, you request it through the Fulton County Clerk's office, either online, by mail, or in person.
There's also a State Court in Fulton County that handles misdemeanor criminal cases and civil claims. Records from that court are kept by the Fulton County State Court Clerk, which is a separate office from the Superior Court Clerk. Knowing which court handled a case matters when you're trying to get records - the wrong office won't have them.
How to Search Sandy Springs Court Records Online
For real estate and some civil records, start at gsccca.org/search. The GSCCCA search tool covers deeds, liens, and UCC filings across all Georgia counties. It's free to search, though certified copies cost a fee. You can search by name or parcel number, and results include document images for many filings.
PeachCourt is Georgia's e-filing platform and also lets the public view certain case documents. You can access it at peachcourt.com. Not all case types are visible there, but civil filings from Superior Courts that use the system are available. It's a good second tool if the county clerk's own portal doesn't show what you need.
The Georgia Judicial Gateway at georgiacourts.gov connects users to court resources statewide. If you're not sure which court handled a case, this is a good starting point. For municipal court cases in Sandy Springs specifically, the city's own portal is the right place to check.
Georgia's open records law, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, gives the public the right to inspect and copy court records. Most records are accessible unless sealed by a judge or protected by law. If a record you need isn't available online, you can submit a written request to the clerk who maintains it.
Types of Sandy Springs Court Records Available
Different courts produce different kinds of records. Here's a general breakdown of what exists and where:
- Traffic tickets and city ordinance violations: Sandy Springs Municipal Court
- Misdemeanor criminal cases: Fulton County State Court
- Felony criminal cases: Fulton County Superior Court
- Civil lawsuits and small claims: Fulton County State or Magistrate Court depending on amount
- Divorces and family law: Fulton County Superior Court
- Real estate records, deeds, liens: GSCCCA online or Fulton County Clerk
Arrest records in Sandy Springs are maintained by the Sandy Springs Police Department. Court records and arrest records are not the same thing. An arrest record shows that someone was detained. A court record shows what happened in court after the arrest. You may need both depending on what you're looking for.
Some records are restricted. Juvenile cases, certain mental health proceedings, and records sealed by a judge are not publicly available. Family violence protective orders may also have limited access. If you're unsure whether a record is public, contact the clerk's office directly and ask.
Legal Aid and Court Help in Sandy Springs
If you need help understanding a court record or navigating a legal matter, a few resources are available. Georgia Legal Aid serves low-income residents throughout the state. Their website at georgialegalaid.org lists offices and intake information. The Atlanta Legal Aid Society also serves Fulton County residents and can be reached through their main office.
The State Bar of Georgia runs a lawyer referral service that can connect you with an attorney who handles the type of case you're dealing with. You can find that service at gabar.org. For people who just need help finding a court record rather than legal advice, the clerk's office staff can often point you in the right direction without charge.
Sandy Springs City Hall also has general information about local services and can direct you to the right department. Their main number is listed at sandyspringsga.gov.
Fulton County Court Records
Sandy Springs is in Fulton County, and most court filings for residents - from felony cases to divorces to civil suits - go through Fulton County Superior Court. The Fulton County Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts manages those records and maintains an online search tool. You can also visit the clerk's office in person in downtown Atlanta.
Nearby Cities with Court Records
Other cities in the north Fulton area have their own court records pages. Each city may have a municipal court in addition to county-level filings.