Bibb County Death Record Search

Bibb County obituary and death records are handled by the Bibb County Health Department in Macon. Macon-Bibb County consolidated its city and county governments in 2014, so the health department now serves the entire merged area. As a local agent for the Georgia Department of Public Health, this office issues certified death certificates for deaths that occurred anywhere in Georgia from 1919 forward. Bibb County has some of the oldest local death records in the state, with Macon-area deaths recorded as far back as 1882. Whether you need a recent Bibb County death certificate or an older obituary record, the Forsyth Street office is the local place to go.

Bibb County Health Department

The Bibb County Health Department is at 1600 Forsyth Street in Macon. This is the primary local office for requesting death certificates in Bibb County. Because Macon-Bibb is a consolidated government, this single office covers what used to be separate city and county jurisdictions. The health department can issue certified copies for any death that took place in Georgia.

Walk-in requests at the Bibb County Health Department require a valid photo ID. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy. Extra copies of the same Bibb County death record cost $5 each when ordered at the same time. The office accepts cash, money orders, and some other payment forms. Because Bibb County is the largest county in central Georgia, the health department gets a lot of requests. Wait times can vary, especially in the middle of the week. Most recent Bibb County death records are processed the same day for walk-in visitors.

Macon began tracking deaths as early as 1882. That is over three decades before Georgia started statewide death registration in 1919. Some of those early Bibb County records are still available through the health department or the Georgia Archives.

How to Search Bibb County Death Records

Walk-in visits to the Macon office give you the fastest results. The ROVER system is the online alternative. ROVER charges $25 plus $8 for processing. You enter the name, date of death, and county. Standard delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks. For Bibb County death records, that is a long wait compared to a quick visit to the Forsyth Street office.

Mail orders are also an option. Send a signed request letter with the deceased person's full name, date of death, and place of death. Include your own name, address, phone number, and a photocopy of your ID. Attach a money order for $25 payable to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Address it to the Bibb County Health Department at 1600 Forsyth Street, Macon, GA 31201, or to the state DPH office at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349.

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15, every death in Georgia must be registered within 10 days. The funeral director files the certificate within 72 hours. Bibb County has a steady volume of deaths given its population, so the system processes new records regularly.

Who Can Access Bibb County Death Certificates

Certified copies are restricted. O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26 limits them to people with a direct and tangible interest. For Bibb County, that means the spouse, adult children, parents, adult siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, or a legal representative of the family. Insurance companies with a claim tied to the death qualify too.

Certified Bibb County death certificates are on security paper with a raised seal and registrar signatures. They are accepted by banks, courts, and insurance companies for legal and financial transactions. If you do not have a direct interest, you can still get a non-certified copy of the Bibb County death record. The non-certified version omits the Social Security number but still shows the name, date, place, and cause of death. It works well for genealogy and personal research. O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27 makes it a crime to provide false information on a vital records request or to tamper with death certificates anywhere in Georgia.

Georgia State Death Record Resources

Beyond the Bibb County Health Department, the Georgia DPH Vital Records office can help. Their location at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349 accepts walk-in, mail, and phone orders. Call (404) 679-4702 for details.

The Georgia Archives in Morrow holds historical death records from 1919 through 1943. For older Bibb County obituary records from before statewide registration, the local health department may still have files going back to 1882. DPH Regulation 511-1-3 governs how death records are maintained across the state. The fee schedule on the DPH site has the latest pricing for all vital record requests.

Below is the DPH location page for the Bibb County Health Department in Macon, showing office details and contact info.

Check this page for current hours and office information before visiting the Bibb County Health Department.

Cities in Bibb County

Macon is the county seat and the only city in Bibb County with a population over 25,000. The Macon-Bibb consolidated government means the health department on Forsyth Street handles all death record requests for the entire county.

Nearby Counties

Bibb County is in central Georgia. These bordering counties also have offices that can issue death certificates for deaths that happened anywhere in the state.