Upson County Death Records
Upson County death records are managed by the health department in Thomaston, Georgia. Unlike most Georgia counties that use the probate court, Upson County relies on the District 4 Public Health office on East Lee Street as its local registrar for vital records. If you need a death certificate, the Thomaston health department can handle in-person requests. You can also order by mail through the state office or use the ROVER online system. The office connects to the statewide database and can pull death records from any Georgia county.
Upson County Quick Facts
Upson County Health Department Vital Records
The Upson County Health Department on East Lee Street in Thomaston serves as the local registrar for death records. This office is part of District 4 Public Health. Staff can search for records, check details, and issue certified copies of death certificates. Walk-in visits are the fastest way to get a copy. Bring a valid photo ID. That rule applies to every request.
Upson County is one of a few Georgia counties where a health department handles vital records rather than the probate court. The process is the same either way. Under OCGA § 31-10-2, all local registrars tie into the same statewide database. The Upson County office can pull death records from any of Georgia's 159 counties. You don't have to go to the county where the death happened. The Thomaston office can handle it.
The ROVER online ordering system provides another way to get Upson County death certificates without visiting the office in person.
The ROVER system shown above handles online orders for death certificates from Upson County and all other Georgia counties.
| Office | Upson County Health Department (District 4 Public Health) |
|---|---|
| Address | 314 East Lee Street, Thomaston, GA 30286 |
| Type | Health Department (County Registrar) |
How to Get Upson County Death Certificates
You can get an Upson County death certificate three ways: in person, by mail, or online. The fee is $25 for the first copy. Additional copies from the same order cost $5 each. In-person visits to the Thomaston health department are the quickest option.
For walk-in requests, go to the health department on East Lee Street in Thomaston. Bring your photo ID and know the full name of the deceased, date of death, and county of death. Staff will search the state database and print a certified copy if the record is found. Cash, credit, and debit cards are accepted. Personal checks are not taken. Same-day service is standard for walk-in requests when the record is in the system. The office keeps regular weekday hours.
To order by mail, complete Form 3912 from the Georgia DPH. Send it with a $25 money order or certified check to 1680 Phoenix Blvd, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Processing runs 8 to 10 weeks. The state ships everything by USPS first class mail.
Note: If no matching record is found, you get a "not on file" letter. The search fee is not returned.
Order Upson County Death Records Online
Georgia's ROVER system is the official way to order death certificates online. It covers Upson County and every other Georgia county. The fee is $25 plus an $8 online processing charge. Standard delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks. All orders ship by USPS from the state office. The District 4 Public Health vital records page also provides ordering information that applies to Upson County.
Third-party vendors like VitalChek handle Georgia death certificate orders too. Call 877-572-6343 for phone orders. These services add their own fees on top of the state rate. Some have expedited shipping. The state processing time doesn't change though. Under OCGA § 31-10-27, the department sets the fee for all certified copies.
Who Can Get Death Certificates in Upson County
Certified death certificates are restricted under OCGA § 31-10-25. You need a direct and tangible interest in the record. That covers spouses, adult children, parents, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, legal reps, and insurance beneficiaries.
Anyone else can get a plain paper copy with the Social Security number removed. These public copies work for genealogy and general research but carry no legal weight. For a certified copy from the Upson County Health Department, bring documentation proving your relationship to the deceased. Birth certificates, marriage licenses, and court orders are accepted proof.
Upson County Death Certificate Filing
When someone dies in Upson County, the funeral director files the death certificate with the local registrar within 72 hours. Under OCGA § 31-10-15, the full certificate must be filed within ten days. The physician signs the medical section covering cause and manner of death. "Pending" is entered if the cause isn't established within 48 hours.
After filing locally, the Upson County registrar sends the certificate to the State Office of Vital Records in Atlanta. It gets added to the central database. Under OCGA § 31-10-26, both the state and the local office can then issue certified copies. Upson County residents who die in other parts of Georgia also have their death certificates forwarded back to the Thomaston health department.
Older Death Records in Upson County
The state system has death records from January 1919 to the present. For Upson County deaths before 1919, contact the Georgia Archives in Morrow at (678) 364-3700. They maintain older vital records and provide genealogy assistance.
The Upson County Health Department may keep some local records from before the state system began. Cemetery records, church burial logs, and old newspaper obituaries from the Thomaston area are additional sources for researching earlier deaths. The Georgia Archives holds microfilm copies of many early county vital records from across the state.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Upson County. All Georgia vital records offices can access the state database for death certificates from any county, so you can visit whichever office is closest.