Rockdale County Death Records

Rockdale County death records are managed by the probate court in Conyers, Georgia. The probate court serves as the local registrar for vital records in this county, which is one of the smaller counties in the metro Atlanta area. If you need a death certificate for someone who died in Rockdale County or anywhere else in Georgia, the Conyers probate court office can help. Walk-in visits are the fastest way to get a copy. Mail and online orders go through the state system and take 8 to 10 weeks. The probate court staff can search the state database and issue certified copies of death certificates for legal, insurance, or personal needs.

Rockdale County Probate Court Vital Records

The Rockdale County Probate Court is the local registrar for death records. The office is on North Main Street in Conyers. Staff can search the state vital records database and issue certified copies of death certificates. You need a valid photo ID for any death certificate request. Walk-in visits during regular business hours get the fastest results.

Under OCGA § 31-10-2, Georgia maintains a single vital records system. This means the Rockdale County office connects to the same state database as every other registrar in Georgia. You do not have to go to the county where the death took place. The Conyers office can pull records from any county in the state, which saves time if you live in the area but need a certificate from somewhere else.

The Rockdale County Probate Court listing on the Georgia DPH site shows the office location and contact details for vital records services.

The page above shows the location and services for the Rockdale County vital records office in Conyers. It confirms where to go for death certificate requests in this county.

How to Get Rockdale County Death Certificates

You have three options for getting a death certificate in Rockdale County. Visit the probate court in person, mail a request to the state office, or order online. Each method has a different timeline but the same base cost.

For in-person requests, go to the probate court at 874 North Main Street in Conyers. Bring your photo ID and have the full name of the person who died ready, along with the date and place of death. The staff will search for the record. If they find it, you can get a certified copy that same day. The fee is $25 for the first copy and $5 for each additional copy on the same order. Cash, credit, and debit cards are accepted. Personal checks are not taken for death record orders at the Rockdale County office.

For mail orders, fill out Form 3912 from the Georgia Department of Public Health. Send it with a money order or certified check for $25 to the state office at 1680 Phoenix Blvd, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Processing takes 8 to 10 weeks. All mail orders ship by first class USPS.

Note: The $25 search fee is not refunded if no record is found. You will get a "not on file" letter instead.

Order Rockdale County Death Records Online

The state runs an online system called ROVER for death certificate orders. ROVER covers all Georgia counties, so you can order a Rockdale County death certificate from home. The system adds an $8 processing fee on top of the base $25. Standard delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks, the same timeline as mail requests.

You can also use third-party vendors like VitalChek. Call them at 877-572-6343 to order by phone. Vendors charge their own fees on top of the state cost. Some offer expedited shipping, though the base processing time at the state office stays the same. Under OCGA § 31-10-27, the department sets uniform fees for certified copies no matter how you place the order.

Who Can Get Death Certificates in Rockdale County

Georgia law limits who can get a certified death certificate. Under OCGA § 31-10-25, certified copies are for people with a direct and tangible interest. This includes the spouse, adult children, parents, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren. Legal representatives and insurance beneficiaries qualify too.

Anyone else can still get a copy. The public version comes on plain paper with the Social Security number removed. It works for genealogy and general record checks but not for legal matters like settling estates. If you need the certified version from Rockdale County, bring proof of your relationship to the deceased. A birth certificate, marriage license, or court order will work.

Rockdale County Death Certificate Filing

When someone dies in Rockdale County, the death certificate has to be filed with the local registrar within ten days. Under OCGA § 31-10-15, the funeral director files the certificate within 72 hours. A physician signs the medical part covering cause and manner of death. If the cause cannot be determined within 48 hours, the form says "pending" until the review is done.

After filing locally, the certificate goes to the State Office of Vital Records in Atlanta for central registration. Under OCGA § 31-10-26, both the state registrar and the local custodian can then issue certified copies. So you can get a Rockdale County death certificate from the Conyers probate court or from the state office in Atlanta. Either source is valid for legal purposes.

Older Death Records in Rockdale County

The statewide system has death records from January 1919 to the present. For deaths before 1919 in Rockdale County, the records are harder to track down. The Georgia Archives in Morrow holds some older death records and can assist with genealogy research. Call them at (678) 364-3700.

The Rockdale County Probate Court may have local records that go back further than the state database. Call the office to ask what they have on file. Church records, cemetery logs, and old newspaper notices from the Conyers area can also help fill gaps for earlier Rockdale County deaths. The state archives keeps microfilm copies of many early Georgia vital records that never made it into the digital system.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Rockdale County. Any Georgia vital records office can issue death certificates from any county, so you can visit the closest office to you.