Catoosa County Obituary Search

Catoosa County obituary and death records are processed through the Catoosa County Health Department in Ringgold. Located in the far northwest corner of Georgia near Chattanooga, Tennessee, this office acts as the local vital records agent for the Georgia DPH. Death certificates for any Georgia death from 1919 forward can be obtained here. If you need a Catoosa County death record, the health department on Catoosa Circle is the local starting point for both certified and non-certified copies.

Catoosa County Health Department

The Catoosa County Health Department is the local vital records office. Located at 145 Catoosa Circle in Ringgold, this office handles death certificate requests for deaths that occurred anywhere in Georgia. Walk-in service is available during regular hours.

Bring a valid photo ID to request records. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy of a Catoosa County death certificate. Each additional copy costs $5 when ordered at the same time. The office accepts cash and money orders. Most walk-in requests are processed the same day. Some older Catoosa County obituary records may need to be pulled from the state system, which takes a bit more time. O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15 requires that every Georgia death be registered within 10 days. Funeral homes must file the certificate within 72 hours.

Because Catoosa County sits right on the Tennessee border, some residents may find it confusing to know where to request records. If the death happened in Georgia, any Georgia vital records office (including the Catoosa County Health Department) can help. Deaths that happened in Tennessee must be requested from that state instead.

How to Get Catoosa County Death Records

There are three ways to get Catoosa County obituary and death records. Visit the health department in Ringgold. Send a request by mail. Or use the state online portal. Each method costs $25 for the first copy.

Online orders go through the Georgia ROVER system. You need the deceased person's full name, date of death, and county of death. ROVER charges $25 plus an $8 processing fee. Delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks. If you need a Catoosa County death record sooner, go to the health department in Ringgold for same-day service.

Mail orders should include a signed request with your name, address, phone number, and a photocopy of your ID. Send a money order for $25 payable to the Georgia Department of Public Health. You can mail it to the Catoosa County Health Department or to the state office at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349.

Who Can Get Catoosa County Death Certificates

O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26 limits who can get certified copies of Catoosa County death records. You need a direct and tangible interest. That means the spouse, adult children, parents, siblings, grandparents, or grandchildren. Legal representatives and insurance companies also qualify.

A certified copy has a raised seal and registrar signatures on security paper. Courts and financial institutions require this type. If you do not have a direct interest, you can still get a non-certified copy of a Catoosa County death certificate. It removes the Social Security number but keeps the cause, date, and place of death. Good enough for genealogy and general research into Catoosa County obituary records.

O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27 makes forging or altering a death certificate a crime in Georgia.

Georgia State Death Record Resources

The Georgia DPH Vital Records office processes requests from all 159 counties. Visit at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349 or call (404) 679-4702. They handle walk-in, mail, and phone orders for Catoosa County death records.

The Georgia Archives in Morrow holds older death records from 1919 to 1943. The Virtual Vault has some of these records online. DPH Regulation 511-1-3 governs vital records maintenance across the state.

Visit the DPH fee schedule to check current costs before sending in a Catoosa County death record request.

Below is the Catoosa County Health Department listing on the Georgia DPH website, where you can find the address and contact details for the Ringgold office.

Check the hours on this page before visiting the Catoosa County Health Department in Ringgold.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Catoosa County. Any Georgia county vital records office can issue a death certificate for a death that occurred in the state. If a neighboring office is closer, you can request your record there.