Effingham County Death Record Search

Effingham County obituary and death records are handled by the Effingham County Health Department in Springfield. This office acts as a local agent for the Georgia Department of Public Health and can issue certified death certificates for any death in Georgia from 1919 to the present. Effingham County sits northwest of Savannah and has seen fast growth as part of the Savannah metro area. If you need a death certificate or want to search for an obituary record in Effingham County, the health department on North Pine Street in Springfield is your local resource. Online and mail options are also available.

Effingham County Health Department

The Effingham County Health Department is the local vital records office for the county. Staff can issue certified death certificates for deaths that happened anywhere in Georgia. The office is on North Pine Street in Springfield, the Effingham County seat.

Bring a valid photo ID when you visit. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy of an Effingham County death record. Each additional copy of the same record costs $5 when ordered at the same time. The office accepts cash and money orders. Walk-in requests are usually processed the same day. Some older Effingham County obituary records may take more time if the state office needs to retrieve the file from archives. For mail requests, send a completed application with a copy of your ID and a money order payable to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Include the full name and date of death for the person whose Effingham County death record you need.

Effingham County has been one of the fastest growing counties in Georgia. The health department office handles an increasing volume of vital records requests as the population grows.

How to Get Effingham County Death Records

There are three ways to get Effingham County obituary and death records. Walk in at the health department in Springfield. Mail a request. Or use the state online system. Each method has the same $25 base fee for the first certified copy.

The Georgia ROVER system processes online death certificate orders for all Georgia counties. You need the full name of the deceased, date of death, and county of death. ROVER adds an $8 processing fee on top of the $25 state fee. Expect delivery in 8 to 10 weeks. For quicker service on an Effingham County death record, visit the health department in Springfield. 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. Most Effingham County death records are in the system within a couple of weeks.

Mail orders should include a signed request, your name, address, phone number, a copy of your photo ID, and a money order for $25. Send to the Effingham County Health Department or the state DPH office.

Who Can Get Effingham County Death Certificates

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified copies of Effingham County death records are restricted to those with a direct and tangible interest. Eligible parties include the spouse, adult children, parents, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren. Legal representatives and insurance companies also qualify.

Certified copies come with a raised seal and signatures from the State and County Registrar on security paper. Banks, courts, and insurance firms require this type. Those without a direct interest can still get a non-certified copy of an Effingham County death record. The non-certified version has the Social Security number removed but still shows the cause, date, and place of death. It works for genealogy and general research into Effingham County obituary records. O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27 makes it a crime to forge or alter vital records in Georgia.

Georgia State Death Record Resources

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

For older Effingham County obituary records, the Georgia Archives in Morrow holds death records from 1919 through 1943. The Virtual Vault provides online access to some of these files. DPH Regulation 511-1-3 governs vital records storage and maintenance statewide. Funeral homes must keep their own detailed records of every case under these rules.

Visit the DPH fee schedule page for the latest costs. Fees may change, so check before sending payment.

The image below shows the Effingham County Health Department page on the Georgia DPH website, where you can find contact details for the Springfield office.

Check this page for hours and directions before visiting the Effingham County office.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Effingham County. Any vital records office in Georgia can issue a death certificate for a death in the state. If one of these is closer to you, you can get your record there.