Catoosa County Inmate Population Lookup
Catoosa County operates a jail in Ringgold near the Tennessee border. The Catoosa County inmate population reflects the needs of a growing northwest Georgia community. If you are trying to find someone being held at the Catoosa County Jail, there are state-level search tools and local resources that can help. This page covers how to search for inmates, what records are available, and the rights you have under Georgia law to access this data. The county jail serves all of Catoosa County, including Ringgold, Fort Oglethorpe, and the areas around Chickamauga. The sheriff runs the facility and handles all bookings and releases.
Catoosa County Jail Quick Facts
Catoosa County Inmate Population Overview
The Catoosa County Jail is at 5842 Highway 41 in Ringgold, Georgia 30736. The Catoosa County Sheriff runs the jail and is in charge of all operations. This includes booking new inmates, processing releases, and making sure the facility meets state standards. The jail serves the entire county, which sits right on the Georgia-Tennessee line.
Ringgold is the county seat and where the courthouse and sheriff's office are located. Arrests made anywhere in Catoosa County get processed through this jail. That includes the cities of Fort Oglethorpe and Ringgold itself. The Catoosa County inmate population changes from day to day as new bookings come in and people are released on bond or after serving their time. Because Catoosa County is part of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, court schedules from that circuit affect how long inmates stay in the jail.
The GDC keeps a profile for the Catoosa County Jail at gdc.georgia.gov. The screenshot below shows this listing with address and contact details.
Check this page for the most current contact info for the Catoosa County Jail.
How to Search Catoosa County Inmate Population
Several free tools let you search for inmates in Catoosa County. The state of Georgia makes these available to everyone.
The GDC Find an Offender page is the starting point for most searches. Type in a first and last name and the system checks all county jails and state prisons. If someone is at the Catoosa County Jail, they will show up in the results with their location and status. For a more detailed search, the GDC Offender Query tool allows you to filter by GDC number, race, gender, and more. This helps narrow results if the name is common.
VINELink Georgia lets you sign up for alerts about a specific Catoosa County inmate. When their custody status changes, you get a notification by phone, email, or text. This is free and works around the clock. The Georgia Sheriffs' jail report publishes regular data on jail populations across the state, including Catoosa County numbers.
Note: If you cannot find someone through the state tools, call the Catoosa County Sheriff directly to ask if the person is in custody.
Catoosa County Inmate Population Access
Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, Georgia's Open Records Act gives you the right to request jail records from the Catoosa County Sheriff. Booking logs, arrest reports, and inmate rosters are all considered public records. You can submit a request in writing and the sheriff must respond within three business days.
There are some limits. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 lists categories of records that can be withheld, such as ongoing investigation files and certain medical records. But the basic Catoosa County inmate population data, including who is in the jail and what they are charged with, is almost always available. For state-level records, use the GDC Open Records page or the GovQA portal.
Catoosa County and the Tennessee Border
Catoosa County sits right on the Tennessee state line. This matters for the inmate population because some crimes cross state lines. If someone is arrested in Catoosa County on a Tennessee warrant, they may be held at the jail until they are extradited. The reverse can also happen. Someone arrested in Tennessee on a Georgia warrant may end up at the Catoosa County Jail once they are transferred back.
The Chattanooga metro area is just north of Catoosa County. Many people who live in Catoosa County work in Tennessee and travel back and forth every day. This cross-border movement can affect the type and number of cases the county handles. If you are looking for someone who was arrested near the state line, check both the Catoosa County Jail and the Hamilton County Jail in Tennessee. Under O.C.G.A. § 42-8-40, probation terms set in Catoosa County must be served under Georgia rules, even if the person lives close to or works across the state line.
Contacting the Catoosa County Jail
The Catoosa County Jail is at 5842 Highway 41, Ringgold, GA 30736. Call the sheriff's office to check on visiting hours, bond amounts, or whether a specific person is in custody. Visiting rules change from time to time, so always call ahead before making the trip. The jail may use a video visit system instead of in-person visits for some situations.
Under O.C.G.A. § 42-9-53, some information about inmates may be restricted, particularly regarding parole decisions. But general Catoosa County inmate population data and custody status are public. The sheriff's office is your main point of contact for anything related to the local jail.
Nearby Counties
Catoosa County is in the northwest tip of Georgia. These neighboring counties have their own jails and inmate populations.