Georgia Statewide Criminal

The Georgia Statewide Criminal History Consent Form serves as "an authorization, granting individuals or organizations permission to solicit and procure an individual's criminal history records from the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC)."

Discovering the Georgia Statewide Criminal History Consent Form

When conducting background checks in Georgia, the statewide criminal history search requires a specific consent form before records can be accessed. This authorization process is unique to Georgia and ensures that all requests for criminal history information from the GCIC are properly documented and legally compliant. Understanding this form is essential for employers, landlords, and organizations that regularly conduct background checks on individuals with ties to Georgia.

Critical Components of the Georgia Statewide Criminal Consent Form

Individual Information

The form requires the following personal identifiers:

• Full legal name (first and last)
• Complete current address with specific details
• Sex and race
• Date of birth
• Full Social Security number
• Purpose code selection (one purpose code only)
• 90-day authorization checkbox

Signature

Whether handwritten or electronic, the signature must adhere to specific guidelines, such as including an IP address or computer-generated timestamp for electronic signatures.

Editing and Authorization Timeframe

Purpose of Request

Requesters must explicitly state the purpose for seeking the criminal history information. Common reasons include employment background checks, volunteer applications, and housing assessments.

What the GCIC Database Actually Covers

The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) maintains criminal history records from law enforcement agencies, courts, and correctional facilities statewide. A GCIC search returns felony and misdemeanor convictions, pending charges, and in some cases arrest records — drawing from sources across the entire state, not just a single county courthouse.

For applicants who have lived or worked in Georgia, a statewide search is often the most thorough single search available and can surface records that a county-level search in one jurisdiction would miss entirely.

County vs. Statewide: Choosing the Right Search

Both options are valid — the right choice depends on the situation:

• Statewide (GCIC) — More comprehensive; covers the full state, but requires a completed consent form with no alterations or corrections of any kind
• County-level — No consent form required; searched at the courthouse level, but limited to the specific counties ordered

For applicants with significant Georgia history, the statewide search is usually the better option. For applicants who only lived in one or two Georgia counties, county-level searches may be sufficient. Contact us if you're not sure which approach fits your needs.