Find Georgia Death Records Online
Georgia death records go back to 1919. The state keeps them all. You can search them from home. The Georgia Department of Public Health runs the State Office of Vital Records out of Atlanta, which stores death certificates for every death in the state since then. Each of the 159 Georgia counties also has a local vital records office. Some use the probate court. Others use the county health department. You can order copies of Georgia death records online through the ROVER system, by mail, or at any county office in person. This page shows you where to find death certificates in Georgia and how to get a copy.
Georgia Death Records Quick Facts
Where Georgia Death Records Are Kept
The Georgia Department of Public Health is the main source for death records in the state. Their State Office of Vital Records sits at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, in Atlanta. It stores certified copies of every Georgia death certificate from January 1919 to now. The office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You can reach them at (404) 679-4702 for questions about a Georgia death record. The DPH Vital Records page shows all the services and forms you need to get started.
A death certificate is an official record of the cause, date, and place of a person's death. A doctor signs it. Georgia law requires that one be filed within ten days after death under OCGA § 31-10-15. The funeral director who first takes custody of the body must file the certificate with the county registrar within 72 hours. From there, the county sends it to the state office for permanent storage. You can get a copy from either the state or any county in Georgia.
The DPH also has a page just for death record requests that lists what you need to send in.
County offices issue copies too. Most of the 159 Georgia counties use the probate court as their local registrar for death records. Some use the county health department instead. All county vital records offices in Georgia can now pull death certificates from any county in the state. You do not have to visit the county where the death took place.
Note: If no record is found after a search, you still get charged the $25 fee and the $8 ROVER processing fee.
Search Georgia Death Records Online
The fastest way to get a Georgia death certificate is online. The state runs a system called ROVER. That stands for Request Official Vital Events Records. It is run by the Georgia Technology Authority and the Department of Public Health. You can place your order from any computer or phone. The ROVER system walks you through each step to request a death certificate in Georgia.
ROVER charges a $8 processing fee on top of the $25 certificate fee. All orders ship by USPS from the State Office of Vital Records in Atlanta. Expect 8 to 10 weeks for delivery once your order is done. Missing info or documents will slow things down. Due to high volume, expedited services through ROVER have been put on hold for now. The DPH has online ordering instructions that walk you through the full process.
Two other vendors also handle Georgia death record orders. GO Certificates and VitalChek both offer standard and rush service. Standard takes 8 to 10 weeks. Rush takes about 5 business days plus shipping time. Both add their own service fees on top of the state price. VitalChek can be reached by phone at 877-572-6343. The DPH lists these options on their third-party ordering page.
To order a Georgia death record online, you need this info:
- Full name of the person who died
- Date of death (month, day, year)
- Place of death (city and county in Georgia)
- Age of the person at the time of death
- Your relationship to the person
- A valid photo ID
Form 3912 is the official request form for a search of a Georgia death record. You can use it for mail or walk-in requests.
Georgia Death Records by Mail
You can order a Georgia death certificate by mail. Send your request to the Georgia Department of Public Health, Vital Records, 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Include the name of the person, the date and place of death, the number of copies you want, and your link to the person. A copy of your photo ID must go in the envelope too. The DPH has mail order instructions on their site that spell out each step.
Pay with a money order or certified check. Personal checks are not accepted for Georgia death record requests by mail. Make it out to Georgia Department of Public Health. Mail orders take 8 to 10 weeks to process at the state level. That clock starts once the state office gets your payment and all your documents. If anything is missing, it takes longer. Under OCGA § 31-10-27, fees must be paid before any service is provided and they are not given back once the search is done.
You can check on an existing order by emailing DPH-VRCC@dph.ga.gov. That email is for order status only. For other questions about Georgia death records, call the main DPH line at (404) 657-2700 or check their contact page for more ways to reach them.
Requests that stay open for more than one year get closed by the state. You would need to send a new one if that happens.
Death Certificate Fees in Georgia
Georgia charges $25 for the first certified copy of a death certificate. Each extra copy of the same record in the same order costs $5. These fees apply at both the state office and at county vital records offices across Georgia. The DPH posts its full fee schedule online so you can check before you order.
Online orders through ROVER add a $8 processing fee on top of the certificate cost. Third-party vendors like VitalChek and GO Certificates charge their own extra fees as well. Rush shipping costs more too. If you go through ROVER and the record is not found, you get a "not-on-file" letter but the fees are not sent back. Fetal death certificates cost $10 in Georgia. Amendments to existing death certificates cost $10 plus the price of a new certified copy. Current year corrections are free of charge.
You can pay by credit card, debit card, money order, or certified check for Georgia death records. Cash works at walk-in county offices only.
Note: Fees can change, so check with the DPH or your local county office to confirm current costs before you order a Georgia death certificate.
Georgia Vital Records Office Locations
Georgia has vital records offices in all 159 counties. These are the local places where you can walk in and get a death certificate. Many can hand you a copy the same day. Most counties use the probate court as their registrar. Some use the county health department. Under OCGA § 31-10-2, the state maintains a vital records registration system that connects all these offices to the central database in Atlanta. The DPH has a full list of office locations on their site.
Any county office can issue a death certificate for a death that took place anywhere in Georgia. You do not have to go to the county where the person died. This makes things much easier if you live far from where the death happened. The DPH also has a vital records office finder that helps you find the closest office to you.
In-person service is the fastest option for Georgia death records. Bring a valid photo ID and your payment. Hours vary by county, but most offices are open weekdays from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The DPH interactive map shows every office in Georgia with directions and contact info.
Some health districts cover death records for several counties at once. The Coastal Health District serves Chatham, Glynn, Camden, and other coastal counties. The West Central Health District covers Muscogee, Crisp, Harris, and Sumter counties from its Columbus office. The Northeast Health District handles Clarke, Morgan, and Walton counties through their health departments.
Who Can Request Georgia Death Certificates
Georgia has rules about who can get a certified death certificate. Under Georgia Administrative Code Rule 511-1-3, certain people have direct access to full certified copies. These include close family members and people with a legal or financial interest in the record. OCGA § 31-10-25 protects the integrity of vital records and sets the terms for who can see the full details on a Georgia death certificate.
People who can request a certified Georgia death certificate include:
- Legal spouse of the person who died
- Adult children or parents
- Adult siblings
- Grandparents or grandchildren
- Legal representatives of the family
- Those with a tangible interest such as insurance companies or beneficiaries
Members of the public can also order a death record in Georgia. They get a plain paper copy with the Social Security number blacked out. This version works for research or general proof but it is not a certified copy. Under OCGA § 31-10-26, the state registrar or any local custodian can issue copies upon written request. A valid photo ID is required for all Georgia death record requests. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Historical Georgia Death Records
The state office has death records from 1919 to the present. For older records, the Georgia Archives is your best source. They hold historical death indexes and other documents that came before the modern system. Some counties kept death records on their own before 1919, and the Archives has collected many of these. You can start at the Georgia Archives death records page to see what is out there.
Georgia law has required the filing of death certificates since the early 1900s. OCGA § 31-10-15 sets out the rules for how and when a death must be reported in the state. A doctor must certify the cause of death within 72 hours. If the cause cannot be found within 48 hours, "pending" goes on the record until the investigation is done. The full statute text is available to read online.
The Georgia Archives has guides for genealogy research and other historical records beyond death certificates in the state.
Some cities in Georgia recorded deaths well before the state system began. Atlanta has records from 1889. Columbus goes back to August 1890. Savannah has death registers from as far back as 1803. Macon started in 1882. These early records can sometimes be found at the Georgia Archives digital vault, which puts some of its holdings online for free.
Note: Pre-1919 death records in Georgia are limited and may not exist for every county or city in the state.
Browse Georgia Death Records by County
Each county in Georgia has its own vital records office that handles death certificates. Most use the probate court. Some use the county health department. Pick a county below to find local contact info and resources for death records in that area.
Death Records in Major Georgia Cities
Residents of major cities in Georgia get death certificates from their county vital records office. Pick a city below to learn which county handles death records and how to get copies in that area.