Search Fulton County Death Records

Fulton County death records are managed through the Fulton County Vital Records office in Atlanta. As the most populous county in Georgia with over one million residents, Fulton County handles a very high volume of death certificate requests. The vital records office at 141 Pryor Street in downtown Atlanta serves as the local registrar. Staff search the statewide database for death certificates from any Georgia county. You can visit in person, order online through ROVER, or mail a request to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Atlanta also has historical death records going back to 1889.

Fulton County Vital Records Office

Unlike most Georgia counties where the probate court handles vital records, Fulton County has its own dedicated Vital Records office. It sits at 141 Pryor Street, Suite 1029A, in downtown Atlanta. You can reach them at (404) 613-1260. This office is the local registrar for death certificates in Fulton County and processes requests for death records from across the state.

The Fulton County Vital Records office handles one of the largest caseloads in Georgia. Over a million people live in Fulton County, and the Atlanta area sees a high demand for certified death certificates. Walk-in service is available during regular business hours. Expect longer wait times than at smaller county offices due to the volume. Bring a valid photo ID and all the details you have about the person who died.

The Fulton County government website has information about the vital records office and other county services in Atlanta.

The Fulton County site above provides access to county services and contact details for the vital records office in Atlanta. Under OCGA § 31-10-2, the Fulton County office connects to the statewide vital records system. It can issue death certificates for deaths that happened in any Georgia county.

Note: The Fulton County office is separate from the State Office of Vital Records, which is also in Atlanta at 1680 Phoenix Blvd.

How to Get Fulton County Death Certificates

There are three ways to get a death certificate in Fulton County. Visit the vital records office in Atlanta, mail your request to the state, or order online. Walk-in visits are the fastest option, though the Atlanta office can have longer lines during busy times.

For in-person requests, go to 141 Pryor Street in downtown Atlanta. 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. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy and $5 for each additional copy in the same order. If the record is in the system, Fulton County staff can print your copy that day. Cash, credit, and debit cards are accepted. Call (404) 613-1260 ahead of time to confirm office hours and check wait times.

Mail orders go to the Georgia Department of Public Health, Vital Records, 1680 Phoenix Blvd, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Use Form 3912 and include a money order or certified check for $25. Add a copy of your photo ID. Processing takes 8 to 10 weeks after the state receives your full package. Under OCGA § 31-10-27, fees are required before any search and are not returned if no record is found.

Order Fulton County Death Records Online

The ROVER system is the state online portal for death certificate orders. It covers all Georgia counties, including Fulton. ROVER charges $25 for the certificate plus $8 for online processing. Standard delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks by USPS from the state office.

Third-party vendors like VitalChek and GO Certificates also process Fulton County death record orders. VitalChek takes phone orders at 877-572-6343. Both vendors offer rush service that cuts the processing time to about 5 business days plus shipping. They charge their own fees on top of the state price. The DPH online ordering page lists all approved vendors and their pricing.

Fulton County residents have an advantage: the state office and the county office are both in Atlanta. So you can skip the 8 to 10 week online wait by visiting either office in person. The state office at 1680 Phoenix Blvd is about 15 minutes from downtown.

Who Can Get Fulton County Death Records

Under OCGA § 31-10-25, certified death certificates go to people with a direct and tangible interest in the record. Close family qualifies. That means a spouse, adult children, parents, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren. Legal representatives, attorneys handling estate matters, and insurance beneficiaries can also get certified copies of Fulton County death certificates.

Members of the public can get a plain paper copy. The Social Security number is blacked out on public copies. This type works for genealogy or general research. It does not work for legal matters like settling an estate or filing an insurance claim. All visitors to the Fulton County Vital Records office must show a valid photo ID.

Historical Death Records in Fulton County

Fulton County and the city of Atlanta have death records going back further than most of the state. Atlanta began recording deaths in 1889. That is 30 years before the state started its system in 1919. These early Atlanta death records are a valuable resource for genealogy research and historical work.

The state office has all Georgia death records from January 1919 to the present. For older Fulton County deaths from 1889 to 1918, the Georgia Archives in Morrow is the best source. The archives has early death indexes, city death registers, and other documents from the Atlanta area. Call (678) 364-3700 for help with historical Fulton County death records. Some of these older records may also be available through the Georgia Archives digital vault online.

Under OCGA § 31-10-15, the state has required death certificate filing since the early 1900s. Fulton County was one of the first areas in Georgia to keep detailed death records because of Atlanta's size and importance as a state capital. Church records, hospital records, and newspaper archives from the Atlanta area can supplement the official death records for older Fulton County research.

Note: Pre-1919 death records are not always complete, so check multiple sources when looking for old Fulton County death records.

Death Certificate Filing in Fulton County

When someone dies in Fulton County, the funeral director files the death certificate with the local registrar within 72 hours of taking custody of the body. A physician signs the medical section certifying the cause and manner of death. Under OCGA § 31-10-15, the certificate must reach the registrar within ten days of death. The Fulton County registrar then forwards the record to the State Office of Vital Records for permanent storage in the central database.

After registration, both the state office and the Fulton County Vital Records office can issue certified copies. Under OCGA § 31-10-26, written requests are all that is needed. If a Fulton County resident dies in another Georgia county, a copy of the death certificate is sent back to the county of residence. So the Fulton County office may have records for residents who died elsewhere in the state.

Cities in Fulton County

Fulton County is the most populous county in Georgia and includes Atlanta plus many other cities. All death certificates are processed through the Fulton County Vital Records office in Atlanta. Residents of any city in the county use the same office.

Other communities in Fulton County include College Park, Hapeville, Fairburn, and Palmetto. All use the Fulton County Vital Records office at 141 Pryor Street for death certificate requests.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Fulton County in the Atlanta metro area. Any Georgia vital records office can issue death certificates from any county in the state.