Bartow County Death Records Search

Bartow County death records are handled by the Probate Court in Cartersville, Georgia. Judge Mitchell Scoggins leads the court, which serves as the local registrar for vital records. If you need a death certificate from Bartow County or from any other county in the state, the Cartersville office can search the state system and issue certified copies. The probate court sits on West Cherokee Avenue in the courthouse complex. Walk-in visitors can get same-day death certificates, and both mail and online ordering are available through the state for those who cannot travel to Cartersville.

Bartow County Probate Court Death Records

The Bartow County Probate Court is located at 135 W Cherokee Ave, Suite 243-A, in Cartersville. The phone number is (770) 387-5075 and the fax is (770) 387-5074. Judge Mitchell Scoggins runs the court. The office handles death certificates, birth records, marriage licenses, and probate matters for Bartow County. It connects to the statewide vital records database under OCGA § 31-10-2, which means staff can pull death records from any county in Georgia.

Bartow County has over 108,000 residents and sits about an hour northwest of downtown Atlanta along Interstate 75. Cartersville is the county seat and the largest city. The probate court sees steady demand for death certificates due to the county's size. Walk-in requests are still processed the same day in most cases. The staff is familiar with the process and can help you even if you are not sure what information you need to bring.

The Bartow County Probate Court listing on the Georgia DPH website confirms the office as the local vital records registrar.

The state health department listing above shows the Bartow County Probate Court contact details and confirms its role as the local registrar for death certificates in Cartersville.

Getting a Bartow County Death Certificate

Walk in to the probate court on West Cherokee Ave in Cartersville for same-day service. Bring a valid photo ID. Give the staff the full name of the person who died, the date of death, and the place of death. They search the system and print a certified copy if the record is found. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy. Each extra copy ordered at the same time costs $5.

For mail orders, fill out Form 3912 from the Georgia DPH. Send it with a money order or certified check for $25 to the State Office of Vital Records at 1680 Phoenix Blvd, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Personal checks are not accepted. Under OCGA § 31-10-27, payment must come in before any search begins, and fees are not returned if no record is found. Processing takes 8 to 10 weeks for mail requests.

Online ordering is available through ROVER, the state's vital records portal. It charges $25 plus $8 for processing. Standard delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks. VitalChek (877-572-6343) handles phone orders but adds its own fees. Either way, the base price for a Bartow County death certificate stays at $25.

Bartow County Death Certificate Eligibility

Certified death certificates go to people with a direct and tangible interest in the record. Under OCGA § 31-10-25, this means the spouse, adult kids, parents, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren. Legal representatives, estate executors, and insurance beneficiaries also qualify for certified copies from Bartow County.

The public can get plain paper copies of Bartow County death records. The Social Security number is removed from these. They work for genealogy and general research but are not valid for legal purposes such as settling estates or claiming benefits. You must still present a photo ID at the Bartow County Probate Court in Cartersville to receive any type of copy.

Note: If you are not sure whether you qualify for a certified copy, call (770) 387-5075 to ask before making the trip.

How Deaths Are Recorded in Bartow County

After a death in Bartow County, the funeral director files the death certificate with the probate court. This must happen within 72 hours of taking custody of the body. A physician signs the cause of death section. Under OCGA § 31-10-15, the complete certificate has to reach the Bartow County registrar within ten days of the death. When the cause of death needs more time to determine, "pending" goes in that field until the review is done.

The Bartow County Probate Court then forwards the record to the State Office of Vital Records for central registration. Once registered, certified copies can come from either the Cartersville office or the state office in Atlanta. Under OCGA § 31-10-26, copies from both sources have equal legal standing. If a Bartow County resident dies in another county, the death certificate is also forwarded to the Cartersville office for local records.

Bartow County Death Records Resources

The Georgia Probate Court page for Bartow County provides an overview of the court and its vital records services.

This reference page gives background on the Bartow County Probate Court's role in maintaining vital records including death certificates. It includes Judge Scoggins' name and the court's contact details.

For death records from before 1919, the Georgia Archives may have older records. The archives is in Morrow, GA, and their phone number is (678) 364-3700. They keep microfilm and digital copies of early Georgia vital records that predate the current state system. Church records and cemetery logs from the Bartow County area can also help with older deaths that are not in the formal system.

Cities in Bartow County

Bartow County's largest city is Cartersville, which is also the county seat. All death certificate requests for people living in Bartow County go through the probate court in Cartersville.

Other communities in Bartow County include Adairsville, White, Kingston, Emerson, Taylorsville, and Euharlee. Residents of all these areas use the Bartow County Probate Court in Cartersville for death certificates.

Nearby Counties

These counties are next to Bartow County. Any Georgia vital records office can issue death certificates from any county, so a neighboring office may be more convenient depending on where you are.