Savannah Obituary Records

Savannah obituary and death records are handled by the Chatham County Vital Records Office. Savannah has one of the longest death record histories in Georgia, with local records going back to 1803. The Chatham County office operates by appointment only for in-person visits. It can issue certified death certificates for any death in Georgia from 1919 to the present. Savannah is the largest city in Chatham County and the fifth largest in the state.

Chatham County Vital Records for Savannah

The Chatham County Vital Records Office handles all Savannah obituary and death certificate requests. The office is inside the Chatham County Health Department at 1395 Eisenhower Drive in Savannah. All in-person services are by appointment only. You can call 912-689-4121 for inquiries about disposition permits after hours. For general questions, call (912) 356-2138 or toll free 1-866-667-3236.

Walk-in service (by appointment) costs $25 for the first certified copy of a Savannah death record. Each extra copy of the same record is $5 when ordered at the same time. The $25 is a non-refundable search fee that includes one certified copy if the record is found. You need to bring a valid photo ID. Georgia law requires a signature and photo ID for all vital record requests. The office also takes mail requests. Send them to Vital Records, PO Box 14257, Savannah, GA 31416.

Chatham County has specific office hours that differ from some other counties in Georgia.

How to Get Savannah Death Records

There are three ways to get a Savannah obituary or death record. Visit the Chatham County office by appointment for in-person service. Order online through VitalChek, which the county works with. Or mail a request to the PO Box listed above. Each method starts at $25 for the first certified copy. VitalChek adds a $12.50 service fee, making the total $37.50 for online orders of Savannah death records.

You can also use the state's ROVER online system to order Savannah death records. ROVER charges $25 plus an $8 processing fee for a total of $33. Standard orders take 8 to 10 weeks. If you need a Savannah death record quickly, the in-person appointment at the Chatham County office is the fastest option. Make sure to arrive by 11:30 a.m. for morning visits or by 4:30 p.m. for afternoon visits (6:30 p.m. on Thursdays, 1:30 p.m. on Fridays).

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15, every death in Georgia must be registered with the local registrar within 10 days. The funeral director files the death certificate within 72 hours. Most Savannah death records are in the system within a few weeks of the death.

This DPH tool helps you find vital records offices near Savannah by zip code.

Savannah Death Certificate Access

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified copies of Savannah death certificates go to people with a direct and tangible interest. The Chatham County office lists these eligible parties specifically:

• Parents, guardian, or legal spouse of the deceased
• Next of kin or legal representative
• Courts with written orders or subpoenas
• Financial institutions and insurance companies (with written justification as required by Georgia law)

Any person other than immediate family who wants a Savannah death certificate must show a direct and tangible interest and a valid reason for the request. A certified copy has an embossed seal, registrar signatures, and is on security paper. Public members without a direct interest can get a plain paper copy of a Savannah obituary record with the Social Security number removed. That version still shows the cause, date, and place of death.

Historical Savannah Obituary Records

Savannah has the oldest local death records in Georgia, going all the way back to 1803. That is more than a century before the state began its own system in 1919. These early Savannah death records are a rare resource for genealogy and historical research. The Chatham County office and the city's own archives may hold records from this period that do not exist anywhere else in the state. If you are searching for a very old Savannah death, start with local sources.

The Georgia Archives in Morrow has state death certificates from 1919 through 1943. The Virtual Vault has some digitized records you can browse online. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27, the state keeps vital records indefinitely. Old Savannah obituary records should still be in the system. Church records, cemetery records, and local historical societies in Savannah can also help with deaths from before official record-keeping.

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-30, the State Registrar matches birth and death records to prevent fraud. Birth certificates get marked "Deceased" when a match is confirmed.

State Resources for Savannah Death Records

The Georgia DPH Vital Records office at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349 is another option for Savannah obituary records. You can call (404) 679-4702 for questions. The state fee schedule sets the same $25 base cost. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-31, these fees fund the state's vital records system. The state office takes walk-in, mail, and phone requests for any Georgia death record.

The ROVER system shown above is the state's official online portal for ordering death certificates from anywhere in Georgia, including Savannah.

Nearby Cities

Pooler is the closest qualifying city to Savannah with its own obituary and death record page on this site. Pooler is also in Chatham County.