Search Montgomery County Death Records

Montgomery County death records are handled by the probate court in Mount Vernon, Georgia. The probate court serves as the local registrar for vital records in this southeast Georgia county. You can get a death certificate for someone who died in Montgomery County or in any other Georgia county by visiting the Mount Vernon office. Walk-in visits are the fastest way to get a copy. Mail and online orders take 8 to 10 weeks because they go through the state office. The court staff uses the statewide vital records database to search and print certified copies.

Montgomery County Probate Court Death Records

The Montgomery County Probate Court is at 400 Railroad Avenue in Mount Vernon. This office handles all vital records for the county, including death certificates. Walk in during business hours with your photo ID to request a copy. Give the clerk the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and where the death took place. The staff will search the statewide system. If the record is found, you get a certified copy that same day. The fee is $25 for the first copy and $5 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.

Under OCGA § 31-10-2, Georgia maintains a unified vital records database. The Montgomery County Probate Court has access to this central system. That means you can request death records from any of the 159 Georgia counties at the Mount Vernon office. You do not need to visit the county where the death occurred. This is helpful for residents of the area who need records from other parts of the state without having to make a long trip.

The Montgomery County Probate Court page on the Georgia DPH website confirms the office as a vital records registrar.

The listing above shows the Mount Vernon probate court as the local registrar handling Montgomery County death records and vital records services.

How to Get Montgomery County Death Certificates

There are three ways to get a death certificate from Montgomery County. Walk in to the probate court for same-day service. Mail a request for 8 to 10 week turnaround. Or order online. The base fee is $25 for all methods.

For in-person requests, visit 400 Railroad Avenue in Mount Vernon. Bring a valid photo ID. Give the clerk the name, date of death, and place of death for the person whose record you need. The search takes just a few minutes. If found, you walk out with your certified copy. Cash, credit, and debit cards are accepted for payment. Personal checks are not taken at any Georgia vital records office. The whole visit is usually under 30 minutes.

Mail orders go to the state office in Atlanta. Fill out Form 3912 and include a money order or certified check for $25. Send it to 1680 Phoenix Blvd, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Processing and delivery take 8 to 10 weeks by first class USPS mail. Plan ahead if you have a deadline.

Note: If the state cannot find the record, they send a "not on file" letter and keep the $25 search fee.

Order Montgomery County Death Records Online

Georgia's ROVER system handles online death certificate orders for all counties, including Montgomery. ROVER adds an $8 processing fee on top of the $25 base cost. Standard delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks. The system is available 24 hours a day.

VitalChek is another way to order Montgomery County death records. Call 877-572-6343 for phone orders. These vendors charge their own service fees. Some offer rush shipping options. But the processing time at the state level stays the same no matter which vendor you use. Under OCGA § 31-10-27, the state sets uniform fees for all certified copies across all ordering methods.

Who Can Get Montgomery County Death Records

Georgia law restricts who gets certified death certificates. Under OCGA § 31-10-25, you need a direct and tangible interest. Close family qualifies: spouse, adult children, parents, siblings, grandparents, or grandchildren. Legal reps and insurance beneficiaries also have access.

The public can still get copies. Plain paper versions come with the Social Security number removed. These are good for genealogy and research. They do not count as legal documents for estate or insurance purposes. If you need a certified copy, bring proof of your connection to the deceased when you visit the Montgomery County Probate Court. A birth certificate, marriage license, or court order serves as acceptable documentation.

Montgomery County Death Certificate Filing

After a death in Montgomery County, the funeral director files the death certificate with the local registrar within 72 hours. OCGA § 31-10-15 requires this. A physician completes the medical section covering cause and manner of death. If the cause is not clear within 48 hours, "pending" is put on the form until the doctor finishes. The full certificate must be filed within ten days of the death.

Once the Montgomery County Probate Court receives the filing, it forwards the certificate to the State Office of Vital Records in Atlanta. The state registers the record in the central database. Under OCGA § 31-10-26, both the state registrar and the local custodian can issue certified copies after registration. You can get a Montgomery County death certificate from either the Mount Vernon office or the state office in Atlanta. If someone lived in Montgomery County but died elsewhere, a copy also gets sent to the Mount Vernon office.

Older Death Records in Montgomery County

State records cover January 1919 to the present. For earlier deaths in Montgomery County, records are scarce. The Georgia Archives in Morrow may have some older files. Call (678) 364-3700 for help.

The Montgomery County Probate Court may hold local records from before 1919. Contact the court to ask. Church records, cemetery logs, and newspaper death notices from the Mount Vernon area can also help with pre-1919 research. Southeast Georgia historical societies sometimes preserve early records that genealogy researchers find useful for tracing Montgomery County family lines back further than the state database allows.

Nearby Counties

These counties are near Montgomery County. Any Georgia vital records office can issue death certificates from any county in the state.