Hart County Obituary Lookup

Hart County obituary and death records are managed by the Hart County Probate Court in Hartwell. This court serves as a local agent for the Georgia Department of Public Health and can issue certified death certificates for deaths that occurred in Georgia from 1919 to the present. Hart County sits in northeast Georgia along Lake Hartwell on the South Carolina border. If you need a Hart County death record or a death certificate, the probate court on West Franklin Street in Hartwell is the local office to contact. Mail-in requests and the state online system are also options.

Hart County Probate Court

The Hart County Probate Court is the local vital records office for Hart County. Staff here can help you request death certificates for deaths that took place anywhere in Georgia. The court is at 185 West Franklin Street in Hartwell. Walk-in service is the most common way residents get their records.

Bring a valid photo ID when you visit. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy of a Hart County death certificate. Each additional copy of the same record costs $5 when ordered at the same time. Cash and money orders are accepted. Walk-in processing is usually same day at the Hart County Probate Court. Some Hart County obituary records may take longer if the file needs to be pulled from state 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. Hart County residents near the South Carolina border should note that this office only handles Georgia death records, not South Carolina ones.

How to Get Hart County Death Records

There are three ways to get Hart County obituary and death records. Walk in at the probate court in Hartwell. Order by mail. Or use the state's online ordering system. The base fee is $25 for the first certified copy.

For online orders, the Georgia ROVER system lets you request death certificates from any county. You need the full name of the person who died, the date of death, and the county where the death took place. ROVER charges the $25 state fee plus an $8 processing fee. Standard delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks. If you need a Hart County death record faster, visiting the probate court in Hartwell is the quicker option. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15, every death in Georgia must be registered within 10 days. The funeral director files the certificate within 72 hours. Most Hart County death records are in the system within two weeks of the death.

Mail orders go to the Hart County Probate Court or the state office. Include a signed request with your name, address, phone number, and a copy of your photo ID. Also include the full name and date of death for the person whose Hart County death record you need.

Who Can Get Hart County Death Certificates

Georgia law sets the rules on who gets what type of death certificate. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified copies of Hart 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 person who died. Legal representatives and insurance companies can also get certified copies.

A certified copy has a raised seal and the signatures of both the State and County Registrar. It is printed on security paper. Banks, courts, and insurance companies need this type. If you do not have a direct interest in the Hart County death record, you can still get a non-certified copy. This version removes the Social Security number but still shows the cause, date, and place of death. It works for genealogy and general research on Hart County obituary records. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27, tampering with or forging a death certificate is a crime in Georgia.

Georgia State Death Record Resources

Beyond the Hart County Probate Court, the state has other resources. The Georgia DPH Vital Records office handles requests from across the state. Visit at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349, or call (404) 679-4702. They process walk-in, mail, and phone orders for Hart County death records and records from all 159 Georgia counties.

For historical Hart County obituary records, the Georgia Archives in Morrow holds death records from 1919 through 1943. These older records are on the Georgia Archives Virtual Vault online too. DPH Regulation 511-1-3 governs how vital records are maintained across Georgia, and funeral homes must keep their own detailed records under these rules. The DPH fee schedule page lists current costs for all vital record types.

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

Use this page to confirm hours and get driving directions before visiting the Hart County probate court.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Hart County. Any Georgia county vital records office can issue a death certificate for a death that occurred anywhere in the state. If one of these offices is closer to you, you can request your Hart County record there.