Echols County Obituary Records

Echols County obituary and death records are managed through the Echols County Probate Court in Statenville. As a local agent for the Georgia Department of Public Health, the probate court can issue certified death certificates for deaths in any Georgia county from 1919 to the present. Echols County is the least populous county in Georgia, located in the far south of the state near the Florida line. If you need a death certificate or want to look up an obituary record in Echols County, the probate court on Highway 94 East is your local starting point. Mail and online options are also available.

Echols County Probate Court

The Echols County Probate Court handles vital records requests for Echols County. Staff here can issue certified death certificates for any death that occurred in Georgia. The office sits on Highway 94 East in Statenville. Walk-in service is available for Echols County residents who need a death record.

Bring a valid photo ID and the $25 fee for the first certified copy. Additional copies of the same Echols County death record cost $5 when ordered at the same time. Cash and money orders are accepted. Walk-in requests are usually done the same day. Because Echols County has such a small population, the probate court may have limited staffing, so calling ahead is a good idea. For mail orders, send a completed application with a copy of your photo ID and a money order payable to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Include the full name and date of death of the person whose Echols County record you are requesting.

Given the county's remote location, many Echols County residents may find the online ordering system more convenient than a trip to the probate court.

How to Get Echols County Death Records

You can get Echols County obituary and death records three ways. Visit the probate court in Statenville. Order by mail. Or use the state online system. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy regardless of method.

The Georgia ROVER system handles online death certificate requests for all 159 Georgia counties. You need the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and the county where the death occurred. ROVER charges $25 plus an $8 processing fee, and delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks. For quicker service on an Echols County death record, visit the probate court in Statenville. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15, every death in Georgia must be registered within 10 days. The funeral director files the death certificate within 72 hours of taking charge of the body. Most Echols County death records are in the system within two weeks.

For mail orders, include a signed request with your name, address, phone number, a copy of your photo ID, and a money order for $25. Send to the Echols County Probate Court or the state DPH office in Atlanta.

Echols County Death Certificate Access

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified copies of Echols County death records go to people 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 also qualify for certified copies of Echols County death records.

A certified copy has a raised seal and the signatures of both the State and County Registrar. It comes on security paper. Banks, courts, and insurance firms need this version. If you do not have a direct interest, you can still get a non-certified copy of an Echols County death record. The non-certified version has the Social Security number removed but still shows the cause, date, and place of death. That is enough for genealogy and general research into Echols County obituary records. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27, forging or altering a vital record 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 processes requests from every Georgia county. Call (404) 679-4702 for details. They accept walk-in, mail, and phone orders for Echols County death records.

For historical Echols County obituary records, the Georgia Archives in Morrow holds death records from 1919 through 1943. The Virtual Vault offers online access to some of these older files. DPH Regulation 511-1-3 governs vital records maintenance across Georgia. Funeral homes are also required to keep their own detailed records of each case they handle.

The DPH fee schedule page lists current costs. Check before sending payment for an Echols County death record.

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

Check hours before visiting, since the Echols County office may have limited staffing.

Nearby Counties

Echols County borders only a few other Georgia counties. Because of its location in the far south of the state, the nearest offices may be a drive. Any Georgia county vital records office can issue a death certificate for a death in the state.