The process of legally "erasing" charges from one's criminal record is called expungement.  In Georgia, a person may request expungement of arrest records when certain conditions are met.  If the expungement is granted the arrest information for that charge is sealed by the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) and is removed entirely from FBI records.  Access to that information is restricted to law enforcement agencies only.  The effect of an expungement is that the arrest information for that charge is "erased" and legally deemed not to have occurred.

To learn more about Georgia expungements, click here.  The Henry County Sheriff's Office accepts only expungement requests for charges where the Sheriff's Office was the arresting agency.  If you are unsure of the arresting agency, you should obtain a criminal history.  This will also assist in identifying the arresting agency as well as the proper court from which to request final disposition papers.  Click here for a list of law enforcement agencies in Henry County or click here for a list of Henry County Courts.

To apply for an expungement of a Henry County Sheriff's Office arrest, the following steps must be completed.

1. Complete and print Request to Expunge Arrest Record
2. Obtain a copy of final disposition from court and attach to expungement request.
3. Obtain and attach a $25 (nonrefundable) money order made payable to the Henry County Sheriff's Office.  Cash can only be accepted if request is hand-delivered to the Sheriff's Office.  
4. Mail or deliver all requested items to:

        Henry County Sheriff's Office
        Attn:  Expungements
        120 Henry Pkwy.
        McDonough, GA 30253
       Directions
 

Expungement requests may be hand-delivered Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM (excluding holidays).  Please remember, a separate application and money order, must be submitted for each expungement request.  If an expungement is approved, the applicant is responsible for forwarding the approved request form plus fees to GCIC.  See application packet for more information.

If you have further questions, please contact the Henry County Sheriff's Office at
770-288-7107 during the hours listed above.