Find Death Records in Wilcox County

Wilcox County death records are kept by the probate court in Abbeville, Georgia. The probate court serves as the local registrar for vital records in this rural south-central Georgia county. Staff at the North Broad Street office can search the statewide database for death certificates from any county. If you need a death certificate from Wilcox County or elsewhere in Georgia, you can visit the Abbeville office for same-day service. The state also has mail and online options for people who cannot travel to the courthouse.

Wilcox County Probate Court Vital Records

The Wilcox County Probate Court on North Broad Street in Abbeville is where you go for death certificates. The court acts as the local registrar and connects to the statewide vital records database. The clerk can search for and issue death certificates from any Georgia county. You do not have to visit the county where the death took place.

Under OCGA § 31-10-2, Georgia maintains one central vital records system. Every local registrar ties into it. So the Wilcox County Probate Court in Abbeville gives you the same access to death records as the state office in Atlanta. Certified copies work for legal use. Plain paper copies work for genealogy and personal records.

The Wilcox County Probate Court page on the Georgia DPH website shows the office information for vital record requests.

The listing above from the Georgia Department of Public Health confirms the Abbeville address and shows the Wilcox County Probate Court as the local vital records office.

Note: Bring a valid photo ID to the Wilcox County Probate Court for all death record requests. This applies to every type of copy.

How to Get Wilcox County Death Certificates

You can get a death certificate in Wilcox County three ways. Walk in to the probate court in Abbeville, mail a request to the state, or use the online system. The base fee is $25 no matter which way you choose.

For walk-in requests, go to 103 N. Broad Street in Abbeville. Bring your photo ID and have the full name, date of death, and place of death ready. If the record is in the system, you get a certified copy that same day. The first copy is $25 and extra copies on the same order cost $5 each. Cash and cards are accepted. Personal checks are not taken.

Mail orders go to the Georgia DPH at 1680 Phoenix Blvd, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Fill out Form 3912 and include a money order or certified check for $25. Processing takes 8 to 10 weeks. All orders ship by first class USPS from Atlanta.

Under OCGA § 31-10-27, the department sets uniform fees for certified copies. The fees stay the same regardless of how you order.

Order Wilcox County Death Records Online

Georgia's ROVER system handles online vital record orders. ROVER stands for Request Official Vital Events Records. You can order a Wilcox County death certificate from home through this system. It adds an $8 processing fee to the $25 base cost. Standard processing takes 8 to 10 weeks.

VitalChek is a third-party vendor that also processes phone orders at 877-572-6343. These services add their own fees. Some offer rush shipping, but the state processing time does not change. All orders ship from the DPH office in Atlanta by USPS.

Note: If no record is found, a "not on file" letter gets mailed to you. The search and processing fees are not refunded.

Who Can Request Wilcox County Death Certificates

Under OCGA § 31-10-25, certified death certificates go to those with a direct and tangible interest in the record. Spouses, adult children, parents, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, legal reps, and insurance beneficiaries qualify.

Members of the public can still get Wilcox County death records. Public copies come on plain paper with the Social Security number blacked out. These work for genealogy and research but not for legal matters like settling estates. To get a certified copy, bring proof of your connection to the deceased. A birth certificate, marriage license, or court order serves as proof.

Wilcox County Death Certificate Filing

When someone dies in Wilcox County, the death certificate gets filed with the probate court within ten days. Under OCGA § 31-10-15, the funeral director files the certificate within 72 hours. A physician signs the medical section with cause and manner of death. If the cause cannot be set within 48 hours, "pending" goes on the form.

After the Wilcox County Probate Court gets the certificate, it goes to the State Office of Vital Records in Atlanta for registration. Under OCGA § 31-10-26, both the state registrar and local office can issue certified copies after that. So you can get a Wilcox County death certificate from Abbeville or from the state office. Both carry the same legal weight.

If a Wilcox County resident dies in another Georgia county, a copy of the death certificate also gets sent to Abbeville. The local probate court may hold records for residents who died elsewhere in the state.

Older Death Records in Wilcox County

The state database has death records from January 1919 to the present. For Wilcox County deaths before 1919, the Georgia Archives in Morrow is the best resource. Call (678) 364-3700 for help.

The Wilcox County Probate Court may have local files from before the state system started. Church records, cemetery logs, and old newspaper notices from the Abbeville area can also fill gaps for older deaths. The state archives keeps microfilm of many early Georgia vital records open to researchers.

Nearby Counties

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