Cobb Co Jail in Marietta, GA is a county detention facility operated by the Cobb County Sheriff's Office. Most people here are awaiting trial or sentencing - this is not a prison, and most stays are measured in days or months, not years. If someone you care about was just booked here, you have questions. Start with the one that matters most right now.
If you are not certain they are there, the fastest way to confirm is the Cobb County inmate search or InmateAid's inmate locator, which searches across Georgia facilities by name.
Booking takes time - sometimes several hours after arrest. If the search comes back empty, wait a few hours and try again before assuming they have been transferred somewhere else. You can also pull their arrest record and booking details to confirm the charges and facility assignment. For the most direct answer, call Cobb Co Jail at 770-499-4703.
Most people booked at Cobb Co Jail appear before a judge within 24 to 48 hours. At that first appearance the judge sets the bail amount - or denies bail - based on the charges, the person's history, and whether they are considered a flight risk.
If bail is set, your family member can be released by paying the full amount or by using a bail bondsman, who typically charges 10 percent of the total as a non-refundable fee. If bail is denied or the amount is unaffordable, they remain at Cobb Co Jail until the case resolves. InmateAid's bail and bond guide walks through every option including what to do if you cannot afford a bondsman.
Right after arrest, your family member goes through intake at Cobb Co Jail - identity verification, medical screening, property inventory, and classification. Classification places them in a housing unit based on the charges, prior record, and intake behavior. It is not a punishment. It is how the facility manages a population that ranges from people picked up on minor warrants to individuals facing serious charges.
For the first 24 to 48 hours, phone access and visitation are typically unavailable while booking completes. Once they are assigned to a housing unit, those channels open up. InmateAid's what happens in jail guide covers the full intake process step by step so you know what to expect.
Your family member calls you - you cannot call them. Calls from Cobb Co Jail go through Global Tel Link (GTL) - ConnectNetwork and all calls are recorded except attorney calls. Set up a Global Tel Link (GTL) - ConnectNetwork account before the first call so the connection goes through without delay.
Phone contact is more important than most people realize going into this. A regular call - even a short one - makes a measurable difference in how someone holds up inside. Do not let the setup friction stop you. Visit InmateAid's jail calls page for step-by-step account setup, current rate information, and tips for keeping funds available.
Visitation hours at Cobb Co Jail are set by the facility and can change without much notice. Before making the trip, call 770-499-4703 to confirm current hours, any advance registration requirements, and what you are allowed to bring.
The most common mistake families make is showing up without confirming first - and that results in a wasted trip and a missed visit for your family member. General rules across most Georgia county jails: dress conservatively, avoid colors that resemble inmate uniforms, leave your phone in your car, and bring valid government-issued ID. Children may be permitted with specific requirements depending on the facility. InmateAid's visitation guide has a full checklist you can run through before you go.
The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office uses video conferencing to conduct both public and professional visits. Visits are scheduled to allow for a more effective and streamlined process.
Public Visitors - before scheduling a visit, each visitor must complete the registration process. You can expedite the process by:
- pre-register online at GTL Visit Me
at any time - pre-register at the self-serve kiosk located at the Visitation Center at any time/ 24 hours a day / 7 days a week
- Through the self-serve kiosk located at the Visitation Center 24 hours a day / 7 days a week
To complete the registration process, you must present your valid government-issued photo identification to Visitation Center staff during the hours of 7:00 A.M. and 10:00 P.M. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your first visit to complete the registration process. All visitors, 18 years of age and older, will be photographed. Once registration is complete, a visit can be scheduled.
You may also skip the online/kiosk pre-registration step and complete the registration process at the Visitation Center during the hours of 7:00 A.M. and 10:00 P.M.
Visitors are NOT subjected to a security screening before an inmate visits, although all laws and rules are enforced. Parking is conveniently located adjacent to the Visitation Center. You may schedule a visit from 1 day in advance to 7 days in advance of the requested time. Once registration is complete, you may schedule your visit by:
1. Call 770-852-3798 OR 770-852-3799 during the hours of 09:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. every day of the week EXCEPT Wednesday
2. Online at GTL Visit Me
Visitation Center Rules
• Up to 4 visitors may be scheduled for 1 visit. Individuals 17 years of age and under shall be accompanied by an adult. Visitors 18 years of age and older must present a valid government-issued photo identification before each visit.
• Visits are scheduled on the hour and are 30 minutes in duration. Late check-in is allowed until 15 minutes past the hour; however, the visit will not be extended due to late arrival. A visit will be forfeited if check-in occurs more than 15 minutes after the scheduled visit.
• All visitors must be dressed appropriately and conservatively. Halter and/or tank tops, see-through clothing, bare midriffs and spaghetti straps are not allowed. Shorts/skirts (no more than 2 inches above the knee) are acceptable. Shoes must be worn at all times.
• Food, drinks, cellular phones, and other prohibited items are not allowed in the visitation area. The Adult Detention Center is a tobacco-free facility.
Professional Visitors - Professional visits will occur without any constraints regarding the frequency of visits. The audio and video recording of any professional visit within any area of the Detention Facility is strictly prohibited. Professional visitors may also schedule their visits in advance.
Professional visitors are required to provide credentials as well as valid government-issued photo identification.
Money on the books - also called the commissary or trust account - gives your family member access to hygiene items, snacks, phone time, and postage. It is one of the most practical things you can do and it has a direct effect on their daily comfort.
Cobb Co Jail accepts deposits through approved channels that typically include online deposit, phone deposit, or a kiosk at the facility. Use your family member's full legal name and booking number exactly as they appear in the jail's system - any error in the name or number will delay or reject the deposit. InmateAid's send money page lists the specific deposit methods accepted at Cobb Co Jail and walks through the process.
A letter or a printed photo costs almost nothing to send and means far more than most people outside appreciate. Cobb Co Jail accepts incoming mail addressed to your family member at 1825 Co Services Pkwy. Put their full legal name and booking number on every piece of mail.
Standard rules at most Georgia county jails: plain white paper only, no staples, no glitter, no stickers, no colored ink. Photos should be standard print size with nothing written on the back. Mail that does not meet the facility's standards will be rejected - and the facility may not notify you that it was. Keep it simple.
InmateAid's send mail service lets you write and send directly from your phone or computer. We print on approved stock and mail it for you, so rejection for formatting is not a risk.
Books and magazines must come new, ordered directly from the publisher or through an online retailer - not shipped from your home address. Facilities require this to prevent contraband. Order through Amazon or directly from the publisher. Anything shipped from a personal address will be turned away.
County jail procedures, visitation rules, phone rates, inmate search tools, bail processes, and what happens at release all vary by state. Georgia has its own rules and its own agencies, and what applies in one state does not always apply here.
InmateAid's Georgia prison resources hub covers all of it - written specifically for families navigating the Georgia system. Start there when you need answers that go beyond what this facility page covers.
County jail time is hard in a way that is different from anything else. The uncertainty - not knowing how long, not knowing what comes next - wears on everyone. What you can control is the connection. Calls, letters, visits, money on the books. Every one of those things tells your family member that someone out here is paying attention and is not going anywhere.
InmateAid was built for exactly this. Use us.