Clayton County Obituary Records

Clayton County obituary and death records are processed through the Clayton County Health Department in Jonesboro. Located just south of Atlanta, Clayton County is a densely populated area that generates a large number of vital records requests each year. The health department on Battlecreek Road is the local DPH agent for death certificates. Records for any Georgia death from 1919 to the present are available here. Residents can also order Clayton County death records online or by mail.

Clayton County Health Department

The Clayton County Health Department at 1117 Battlecreek Road in Jonesboro is where you go for death certificates. Staff can process requests for any Georgia death record from 1919 onward. Walk-in service is available during business hours.

You need a valid photo ID to request records. The cost is $25 for the first certified copy of a Clayton County death certificate. Extra copies are $5 each when ordered at the same time. The office takes cash and money orders. Walk-in requests typically finish the same day. Clayton County is one of the most populated counties in metro Atlanta, so the health department can be busy. Plan for possible wait times, especially mid-morning. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15, all Georgia deaths must be registered within 10 days.

The Clayton County Health Department is near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Many county residents work in the airport area. Because of the high population, the office processes a large number of Clayton County death records each year. Staff are well-practiced in handling these requests.

How to Search Clayton County Death Records

There are three ways to get Clayton County obituary and death records. Go to the health department in Jonesboro. Send a mail request. Or order through the state online system. All methods cost $25 for the first copy.

The Georgia ROVER system processes online death certificate orders from every Georgia county. You need the full name of the deceased, date of death, and county of death. ROVER charges $25 plus $8 for processing. Standard delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks. If speed matters for your Clayton County death record, visit the Jonesboro office instead.

Mail requests go to the Clayton County Health Department or the state DPH office at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Include a signed request with your name, address, phone number, a copy of your photo ID, and a money order for $25 payable to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Provide the full name and date of death for the person whose Clayton County death certificate you need.

Who Can Get Clayton County Death Certificates

O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26 limits certified copies of Clayton County death records to people with a direct and tangible interest. The spouse, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren all qualify. Legal reps and insurance companies can request them too.

Certified copies bear a raised seal and registrar signatures on security paper. Courts and banks require this type. If you lack a direct interest, you can get a non-certified copy of a Clayton County death certificate. It removes the Social Security number but keeps cause of death, date, and place. That works for genealogy and research into Clayton County obituary records.

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27, forging a death certificate is a criminal offense in Georgia. False statements on vital records applications are also illegal.

Georgia State Death Record Resources

The Georgia DPH Vital Records office handles requests from all 159 counties. You can visit at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349 or call (404) 679-4702. The state DPH office is actually close to Clayton County, just off Jonesboro Road in the College Park area. So Clayton County residents have easy access to both the county and state offices for death records.

The Georgia Archives in Morrow holds death records from 1919 to 1943. The Archives building is in Clayton County itself, at 5800 Jonesboro Road. The Virtual Vault has some of these older records online. DPH Regulation 511-1-3 governs vital records maintenance.

Check the DPH fee schedule before sending payment for a Clayton County death record.

Below is the Clayton County Health Department listing on the Georgia DPH website, where you can find contact info for the Jonesboro office.

Check the DPH page for current hours before heading to the Clayton County Health Department.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Clayton County. Any Georgia vital records office can issue a death certificate for a death that occurred in the state. If a nearby office is more convenient, you can request your Clayton County death record there.