Dodge County Death Record Lookup

Dodge County obituary and death records are processed through the Dodge County Probate Court in Eastman. As a local agent for the Georgia Department of Public Health, the probate court can issue certified death certificates for any death that occurred in Georgia from 1919 to the present. Dodge County is in central Georgia, and Eastman is both the county seat and its largest city. If you need to find an obituary record or get a copy of a death certificate in Dodge County, the probate court is your local starting point. You can also use the state online system or order by mail.

Dodge County Probate Court

The Dodge County Probate Court in Eastman is the local vital records office. Staff here can help you get death certificates for deaths that happened anywhere in Georgia. The probate court handles both vital records and other court duties, as is common in smaller Georgia counties.

Bring a valid photo ID when you visit. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy of a Dodge County death record. Additional copies of the same record cost $5 each when ordered at the same time. The office accepts cash and money orders. Walk-in requests are usually processed the same day, though some older Dodge County obituary records may take longer if the file needs to be retrieved from state archives. For mail requests, send a completed application with a photo ID copy and a money order payable to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Include the full name and date of death for the person whose Dodge County record you are looking for.

How to Search Dodge County Death Records

There are three ways to get Dodge County obituary and death records. Visit the probate court in Eastman for same-day service. Send a mail request. Or order online through the state system. All three methods carry the same $25 base fee for the first certified copy.

Online orders go through the Georgia ROVER system. You need the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and the county where the death took place. ROVER charges $25 plus an $8 processing fee, and standard delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks. If you need a Dodge County death record faster, visit the probate court in Eastman. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15, every death in Georgia must be registered within 10 days. Funeral directors file the certificate within 72 hours of taking charge. So most Dodge County death records are in the system within a couple of weeks.

Mail orders should include a signed request with your name, address, phone number, a copy of your photo ID, and a money order. You can mail to the Dodge County Probate Court or the state DPH office in Atlanta.

Who Can Get Dodge County Death Certificates

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified copies of Dodge County death records go to those with a direct and tangible interest. That includes the spouse, adult children, parents, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren of the deceased. Legal representatives and insurance companies with a financial interest also qualify for certified copies.

Certified copies come with a raised seal and signatures from the State and County Registrar on security paper. Banks, courts, and insurance firms need this kind of copy. If you do not have a direct interest in a Dodge County death record, you can still get a non-certified copy with the Social Security number removed. It still shows the cause, date, and place of death. This version works for genealogy and general research into Dodge County obituary records. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27, forging or altering a death certificate is a criminal offense in Georgia.

Georgia State Death Record Resources

The Georgia DPH Vital Records office at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349 handles death record requests from all 159 Georgia counties. Call (404) 679-4702. They accept walk-in, mail, and phone orders for Dodge County death records.

For historical Dodge County obituary records, the Georgia Archives in Morrow holds death records from 1919 through 1943. These files are also available through the Georgia Archives Virtual Vault online. DPH Regulation 511-1-3 governs the maintenance of vital records statewide, and funeral homes must keep detailed records of every case they handle.

Check the DPH fee schedule for current costs before sending payment for a Dodge County death record.

The image below shows the Dodge County Probate Court page on the Georgia DPH website, where you can find contact information for the Eastman office.

Use this page to check hours and directions before visiting the Dodge County office.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Dodge County. Any Georgia county vital records office can issue a death certificate for a death that took place anywhere in the state. If one of these offices is closer to where you live, you may find it easier to go there.