Search Georgia Obituary Records
Georgia obituary records are kept by county vital records offices and the Georgia Department of Public Health. All 159 counties in Georgia can issue death certificates for deaths that took place in the state from 1919 to the present. You can search for Georgia obituary records online through the state ROVER system, by mail, or in person at any county office. The Georgia Archives also holds historical death records from 1919 through 1943. Whether you need a certified death certificate for legal use or want to look up an old Georgia obituary record for family research, the state has more than one way to help you find what you need.
Georgia Obituary Records Quick Facts
Georgia Obituary Record Sources
The State Office of Vital Records is the main agency for Georgia obituary and death records. This office sits under the Georgia Department of Public Health and is in charge of registering, preserving, and certifying all vital events in the state. That includes death records from January 1919 to the present day. You can reach the Georgia DPH Vital Records office at (404) 679-4702. They are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Their mailing address is 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. If you want to find a county vital records office close to you, the DPH has an office locator tool on their site.
The locator below shows how to find your nearest Georgia vital records office for obituary and death record requests.
Each of the 159 county offices in Georgia can issue death certificates for any death that took place in the state. You do not have to go to the county where the death happened. Any county office can pull the record for you. Most counties handle this through their health department or probate court.
Order Death Certificates Online
Georgia runs an online system called ROVER for ordering death certificates. The ROVER ordering portal is run by the Georgia Technology Authority and the Department of Public Health. You pay $25 per certified copy plus an $8 processing fee. Orders ship by USPS from the state vital records office. Standard processing takes 8 to 10 weeks. Expedited service cuts that down to about 5 business days plus shipping time.
The ROVER system handles online orders for Georgia obituary and death certificate copies. The screenshot below shows the ordering portal.
To order a Georgia death certificate online you need the full name of the person who died, their date of death, and the county where the death took place in Georgia. You also need your own state-issued ID, social security number, and a credit or debit card. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are all accepted. If the record is not found after a search, the state sends a not-on-file letter. The $25 search fee and $8 processing fee are not returned in that case. Under Georgia law, all fees must be paid up front before a record or service can be provided in Georgia.
Note: Personal checks are not accepted for Georgia obituary record orders at the state office.
Georgia Death Certificate Fees
The fee for a certified Georgia death certificate is $25 for the first copy. Each extra copy of the same record costs $5 when you order them at the same time. These fees apply at both the state level and at county vital records offices across Georgia. Payment options include credit and debit cards, cash for walk-in service, certified checks, and money orders. The Georgia DPH fee schedule covers all vital record types. Marriage certificates cost $10, but death certificates and birth certificates are both $25 in Georgia.
Online orders through ROVER add an $8 processing fee on top of the $25. If you use VitalChek to order through a county office, they charge their own service fee as well. Walk-in service at a county health department or probate court in Georgia is often the cheapest option since you skip the extra processing fees. Many Georgia county offices provide same-day service when you visit in person.
Georgia Archives Obituary Records
The Georgia Archives in Morrow holds historical death records and obituary records for the state. Their address is 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260, and you can call them at 678-364-3710. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Archives has original death records from 1919 through 1943. These Georgia obituary records are a key source for anyone doing family research or tracing old death records in the state.
The Georgia Archives maintains a research page for vital records that explains what is available and how to access it.
For death records from 1944 to the present, the Georgia Archives directs people to the Department of Public Health. You can also ask the vital records office of the county where the death took place. But for older Georgia obituary records, the Archives is the place to go. Death records from 1919 to 1927 are indexed and available to view online through the Georgia Death Certificates collection. Records from 1919 to 1943 are also indexed on FamilySearch.org. The Georgia Archives death records page has full details on what is available for each time period.
The Archives death records page shown above explains how Georgia handled early death registration and what county-level records exist before 1919.
Who Can Get Georgia Death Records
Georgia law sets rules on who can get a certified death certificate. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified copies go to people with a direct and tangible interest in the record. That includes the legal spouse, adult children, adult siblings, parents, grandparents, and grandchildren of the person who died. Beneficiaries and insurance companies also qualify. Legal representatives of the family can request Georgia obituary and death records on behalf of the family as well.
Members of the public can also order Georgia death records. The key difference is what you get. Public requestors receive a plain paper copy of the death certificate with the Social Security number blacked out. This still shows the cause, date, and place of death in Georgia. It works fine for genealogy and general research. Certified copies with the full details are only for those with the qualifying relationship. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-31, it is a crime to make false statements on a vital records request in Georgia. Penalties can run up to $10,000 in fines or 5 years in prison.
To request a Georgia death record you need:
- Full name of the person who died
- Date of death
- County where the death took place in Georgia
- Your state-issued photo ID
- Proof of relationship if you want a certified copy
Historical Obituary Records
Statewide death registration in Georgia started in 1919. Before that, record keeping was scattered and incomplete. A State Board of Health was set up in 1914 to compile vital statistics, but early registration was thin. The few certificates filed with the state were grouped by year, placed in binders, and stamped with a file number. The Georgia Archives holds these early records along with the more complete records from 1919 onward.
The Georgia Archives Virtual Vault lets you search digitized records from home.
Some Georgia cities kept death records before the state started in 1919. Savannah began recording deaths in 1803. Those early records from 1803 to 1913 are housed at the City of Savannah Municipal Archives. The City of Macon in Bibb County started in 1882. Atlanta in Fulton County began in 1889. Augusta in Richmond County started recording deaths in 1904. Columbus in Muscogee County began in 1890. Gainesville in Hall County recorded deaths from 1908 to 1911. These pre-1919 Georgia obituary records are a rare find for anyone tracing family roots in those areas.
The Georgia Archives homepage below provides access to all of their research tools and collections for Georgia death and obituary records.
Note: For Georgia deaths from 1944 to the present, contact the DPH at 1680 Phoenix Blvd, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349 or call 404-679-4702.
How to Request Georgia Obituary Records
There are three ways to get Georgia death certificates. Online through ROVER is the fastest option if you do not mind the 8 to 10 week wait for standard shipping. By mail, you fill out Form 3912, the Request for Search of Death Record form, and send it to the State Office of Vital Records at 1680 Phoenix Blvd, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Include a copy of your photo ID and your payment with the form. Mail requests also take 8 to 10 weeks to process at the state office in Georgia. The third option is to visit any of the 159 county vital records offices in person. Walk-in service is often same-day at county offices across Georgia.
Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15, a death certificate for each death in Georgia must be filed with the local registrar within 10 days. The funeral director must file the certificate within 72 hours. This means recent Georgia obituary records are usually available fairly quickly after the death occurs. Each death certificate must include the full legal name, date of birth, date of death, place of death, and cause of death. Under DPH Regulation 511-1-3-.19, death reports are due within 3 calendar days in Georgia.
Browse Georgia Obituary Records by County
Each county in Georgia has its own vital records office that handles death certificates and obituary records. Pick a county below to find local contact details, office addresses, and resources for obituary records in that area.
Obituary Records in Major Georgia Cities
Residents of major Georgia cities get obituary and death records through their county vital records office. Pick a city below to learn where to search for obituary records in that area.