Chattooga County Obituary Lookup

Chattooga County obituary and death records are filed through the Chattooga County Probate Court in Summerville. This office is the local vital records agent for the Georgia Department of Public Health. You can request death certificates for any death that occurred in Georgia from 1919 to the present. If you need a Chattooga County death record, the Probate Court on Commerce Street is the place to start. You can also order by mail or through the state's online system.

Chattooga County Probate Court

The Chattooga County Probate Court on Commerce Street in Summerville handles all vital records requests in the county. Staff can issue death certificates for deaths that took place anywhere in Georgia. Walk-in service is the most common way to get records here.

You must bring a valid photo ID. The fee for the first certified copy of a Chattooga County death certificate is $25. Additional copies cost $5 each when ordered at the same time. The office accepts cash and money orders. Walk-in requests usually finish the same day. Some older Chattooga County obituary records may take longer if the file needs to be pulled from the state archive. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15, all Georgia deaths must be registered within 10 days of the event.

Chattooga County is in the northwest corner of Georgia. Summerville is the county seat and the largest town. The county has a moderate population, and the Probate Court handles a steady flow of vital records requests throughout the year.

How to Search Chattooga County Death Records

You have three options for getting Chattooga County obituary and death records. Go to the Probate Court in Summerville. Mail a request. Or order online. The base fee is $25 for the first certified copy.

The Georgia ROVER system handles online death certificate orders for all Georgia counties. You need the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and the county of death. ROVER charges $25 plus an $8 processing fee. Standard delivery runs 8 to 10 weeks. For faster service on a Chattooga County death record, visit the Probate Court in person.

Mail requests go to the Chattooga County Probate Court or to the state DPH office at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Include a signed request, a copy of your photo ID, and a money order for $25. Provide the deceased person's full name and date of death.

Who Can Get Chattooga County Death Certificates

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified copies of Chattooga County death records are for people with a direct and tangible interest. The spouse, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren qualify. So do legal representatives and insurance companies with valid reasons.

Certified copies have a raised seal and registrar signatures on security paper. Banks and courts need this version. If you lack a direct interest, a non-certified copy of the Chattooga County death certificate is still available. It removes the Social Security number but keeps the cause of death, date, and place. Non-certified copies are fine for genealogy and general research into Chattooga County obituary records.

Forging or altering a death certificate is a crime under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27. False information on vital records applications is also illegal under Georgia law.

Georgia State Death Record Resources

The Georgia DPH Vital Records office handles requests from all 159 counties. Visit at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349 or call (404) 679-4702.

Older Chattooga County obituary records from 1919 to 1943 are at the Georgia Archives in Morrow. Some are on the Virtual Vault. DPH Regulation 511-1-3 sets the rules for vital records storage across Georgia.

The DPH fee schedule lists current costs. Verify prices before sending payment for a Chattooga County death record.

The image below shows the Chattooga County Probate Court listing on the Georgia DPH website, where you can find the address and contact info for the Summerville office.

Use this DPH page to confirm hours and get directions before visiting the Chattooga County Probate Court.

Chattooga County Death Certificate Information

Every Chattooga County death certificate records the full legal name of the deceased, date of birth, date of death, place of death, and cause of death. A physician or medical examiner certifies the cause. The funeral home and county of registration are also listed.

O.C.G.A. § 31-10-30 requires the state registrar to keep a permanent index of all death records in Georgia. So Chattooga County death records are in the statewide system as well. O.C.G.A. § 31-10-31 allows delayed registration for deaths that were not recorded when they happened. This can apply to some very old Chattooga County obituary records.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Chattooga County. Any Georgia vital records office can issue a death certificate for a death that happened anywhere in the state. You can use a neighboring office if it is more convenient.