Houston County Death Records

Houston County death records are kept by the probate court in Perry, Georgia. The probate court serves as the local registrar for vital records in Houston County and handles death certificate requests from its office on Perry Parkway. This is one of the larger counties in central Georgia, and the office serves both Perry and nearby Warner Robins residents. You can visit the probate court for in-person service or use the state's mail and online options to order Houston County death certificates from anywhere.

Houston County Probate Court Death Records

The Houston County Probate Court at 201 Perry Parkway in Perry is the main office for death certificate requests in the county. The probate court staff search the state vital records database and issue certified copies to people who qualify. A valid photo ID is required for every request. Walk-in service is available during regular business hours, and most requests are filled the same day.

Georgia operates a unified vital records system under OCGA § 31-10-2. All county vital records offices connect to one central database. The Houston County Probate Court can access death records from any county in Georgia. This means you do not have to visit the county where the death happened. If you live in Perry or Warner Robins, the Houston County office can get you a death certificate for someone who died in any part of the state.

The Houston County Probate Court page on the Georgia DPH site has the office location and vital records services details.

This listing shows the Houston County Probate Court in Perry as the local registrar for vital records including death certificates.

How to Get Houston County Death Certificates

You have three ways to get a Houston County death certificate. Go to the probate court in Perry, mail a request, or order online. The base cost is $25 for the first copy. Online orders add a processing fee. Each method has a different wait time.

In-person requests at the Houston County Probate Court are the fastest. Bring photo ID and the details of the deceased, including full name, date of death, and place of death. Staff search the database and can hand you a certified copy the same day. The first copy costs $25. Extra copies from the same order are $5 each. The office accepts cash, credit cards, and debit cards. Personal checks are not accepted for death record orders. Houston County sees a fair amount of traffic at its vital records window, so consider going during off-peak hours if you can.

For mail orders, fill out Form 3912 and send it with a $25 money order or certified check to 1680 Phoenix Blvd, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Processing takes 8 to 10 weeks. The state sends all mail orders by first class USPS.

Note: The state keeps the $25 search fee if no record turns up in the system.

Order Houston County Death Records Online

Georgia's ROVER online system handles death certificate orders from all 159 counties. You can order a Houston County death certificate for $25 plus an $8 processing fee. Standard delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks from the state office in Atlanta. All orders go out by USPS first class mail.

Third-party vendors like VitalChek also process Houston County death record orders. VitalChek's number is 877-572-6343. These vendors charge their own service fees on top of the state's $25. Some offer rush shipping, but the state office processes all orders at the same speed. Under OCGA § 31-10-27, uniform fees are set by the department and apply no matter how you place the order.

Who Can Request Houston County Death Certificates

Georgia law specifies who can get a certified death certificate. Under OCGA § 31-10-25, you must show a direct and tangible interest. Eligible people include spouses, adult children, parents, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, legal representatives, estate executors, and insurance beneficiaries.

Anyone else can still order a copy of a Houston County death record. Public copies are on plain paper with the Social Security number blacked out. These are good for genealogy and personal use but not valid for legal or financial matters. If you need a certified copy, bring proof of your connection to the deceased. A birth certificate, marriage license, or court order will work as evidence of your relationship at the Houston County office.

Houston County Death Certificate Filing

When someone dies in Houston County, the death certificate must be filed within ten days. Under OCGA § 31-10-15, the funeral director files it with the local registrar within 72 hours. The physician signs the medical section covering cause and manner of death. If the cause cannot be determined within 48 hours, "pending" appears on the certificate until the doctor completes the review.

After the Houston County registrar receives the certificate, it gets sent to the State Office of Vital Records in Atlanta. The state registers it in the central database. Both the state and the Houston County Probate Court can then issue certified copies per OCGA § 31-10-26. If a Houston County resident dies in another county, a copy of the death certificate is forwarded to the Perry office as well.

Older Houston County Death Records

State records cover deaths from January 1919 forward. For Houston County deaths before that, records are harder to find. The Georgia Archives in Morrow has some older death records and helps with genealogy. Call (678) 364-3700 for assistance.

The Houston County Probate Court may keep local records from before 1919. Call the Perry office to ask what they have on file. Church records, cemetery logs, and newspaper death notices from the central Georgia area can also help trace older Houston County deaths. The state archives maintains microfilm copies of many early vital records from across the state.

Cities in Houston County

Warner Robins is the largest city in Houston County and has its own city page with details on local death record resources.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Houston County. Any vital records office in Georgia can issue death certificates from any county.