Candler County Death Records Lookup

Candler County death records are maintained by the Probate Court in Metter, Georgia. This east-central Georgia county serves as the local registrar for vital records and can issue certified copies of death certificates. Metter is a small town, so the office tends to be easy to access without long wait times. You can request a Candler County death certificate in person at the courthouse, by mail through the state, or online using the ROVER portal. Any county vital records office in Georgia can also pull a Candler County death record from the state database on your behalf.

Candler County Probate Court

The Candler County Probate Court handles all vital records for the county. This includes death certificates. The probate judge runs the office and keeps records in order. You can visit during regular business hours to request a copy of a death certificate. Bring your photo ID and the full name and date of death for the person whose record you need. Staff will search the system and print a certified copy for you on the spot in most cases.

The fee is $25 for the first copy. Each added copy in the same order costs $5. These are state-set fees that apply at every county office in Georgia. Candler County is a smaller office, so you rarely have to wait long. If the record is older, staff may need a bit more time. The DPH Vital Records page lists all county registrar locations including Candler County.

You can reach the Candler County Probate Court by visiting the courthouse in Metter. The office is open weekdays. Call ahead to confirm hours before you make the drive, as small county offices sometimes close for lunch or local holidays.

How to Order Candler County Death Certificates

There are three ways to get a death certificate from Candler County. In person at the Probate Court in Metter is the fastest. You can also go online or send a request by mail. Both of those go through the state office in Atlanta.

Online orders use the ROVER system. ROVER stands for Request Official Vital Events Records. The Georgia Technology Authority and Department of Public Health run it. You enter the details of the person who died, upload your photo ID, and pay online. The $25 certificate fee plus a $8 processing fee is charged to your card. Orders ship from the State Office of Vital Records in Atlanta. Expect 8 to 10 weeks for delivery. ROVER works for Candler County death records and death records from any other county in Georgia.

Mail requests go to the Georgia Department of Public Health, Vital Records, 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Include the full name of the deceased, date and place of death, your link to the person, and a copy of your photo ID. Pay with a money order or certified check made out to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Under OCGA § 31-10-27, fees must be paid before the state will process your Candler County death record request. Personal checks are not accepted. Allow 8 to 10 weeks for processing.

Note: Missing info or documents in your request will add time to the 8 to 10 week wait.

Who Can Get Candler County Death Records

Georgia has rules about who can get a certified death certificate. Close family gets full access. This means the spouse, adult children, parents, adult siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren of the person who died. Legal representatives and those with a tangible interest, like insurance companies, can also get certified copies of Candler County death certificates.

The public can request death records too. They get a version on plain paper with the Social Security number blacked out. Under OCGA § 31-10-25, the state protects the full details on vital records and limits who sees them. The plain copy works for research or as general proof that a death took place. Under OCGA § 31-10-26, the state registrar or any local custodian like the Candler County Probate Court can issue copies when they get a written request and valid photo ID.

What Candler County Death Certificates Show

A death certificate from Candler County contains specific facts about the person and how they died. Georgia law under OCGA § 31-10-15 requires that a death certificate be filed within ten days of the death. The funeral director who first takes custody of the body must file it with the local registrar within 72 hours. A doctor signs off on the cause of death. If the cause is not clear within 48 hours, "pending" goes on the record until they know more.

A certified death certificate from Candler County will typically show:

• Full legal name of the person who died
• Date and place of death
• Cause of death and contributing factors
• Age, sex, and race of the person
• Social Security number (removed on public copies)
• Name of the funeral home
• Place of burial or disposition

The state office in Atlanta stores all Candler County death records from 1919 forward. For older records, the Georgia Archives may have historical death indexes from before the modern system began.

State Resources for Death Records

The Georgia Department of Public Health oversees all vital records in the state. Their main office is at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. You can call them at (404) 679-4702 for questions about a Candler County death record or any death record in Georgia. The DPH death record request page spells out what you need to submit.

The registrar locations page on the DPH site helps you find the closest vital records office if the Candler County Probate Court is not near you. Any county office in Georgia can issue death certificates for any county in the state. You do not have to go to Metter if a closer office is available.

Cities in Candler County

Metter is the county seat and the main city in Candler County. Pulaski is the only other town. All death records for both places go through the Candler County Probate Court. Neither city has its own vital records office separate from the county.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Candler County. If you need a death record and are not sure which county to check, find out where the death took place. Remember that any county office in Georgia can pull death records for any county in the state.