Jefferson County Obituary Search

Jefferson County obituary and death records are managed by the Jefferson County Health Department in Louisville. As a local agent for the Georgia Department of Public Health, this office issues certified death certificates for deaths that occurred in Georgia from 1919 to the present. The Jefferson County Health Department on US Highway 1 North is the local starting point for death record requests. You can also use the state online ordering system or send a mail request to the state vital records office. The fee for a first certified copy of a Jefferson County death certificate is $25.

Jefferson County Health Department

The Jefferson County Health Department serves as the local vital records office. Staff at this location can help you request death certificates for any death that took place in Georgia. The office is on US Highway 1 North in Louisville, the Jefferson County seat. Walk-in service is the most common way residents get their records.

When you visit, bring a valid photo ID. The cost is $25 for the first certified copy of a Jefferson County death record. Each extra copy is $5 when ordered at the same time. The office takes cash and money orders. Most walk-in requests are processed the same day. Some Jefferson 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. Include the deceased person's full name and date of death with your Jefferson County death record request.

How to Search Jefferson County Death Records

There are three main ways to get Jefferson County obituary and death records. You can visit the health department in Louisville. You can send a mail request. Or you can use the state online system. Each method has the same $25 base fee for the first certified copy.

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

Mail orders go to the Jefferson County Health Department or the state office in Atlanta. Include a signed request with your name, address, phone number, and a copy of your photo ID. Add a money order for $25 for the Jefferson County death record you need.

Who Can Get Jefferson County Death Certificates

Georgia law controls who can receive each type of death certificate. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified copies of Jefferson County death records are available to people with a direct and tangible interest. That means the spouse, adult children, parents, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren of the deceased. Legal agents and insurance companies qualify too.

A certified copy comes with a raised seal and the signature of the State and County Registrar. It is printed on security paper. Banks, courts, and insurance firms typically need this type of copy. If you lack a direct interest in a Jefferson County death record, you can still get a non-certified version. This copy has the Social Security number removed but still lists the cause of death, date, and place. It works well for genealogy research and general lookups of Jefferson County obituary records.

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27, tampering with or forging a death certificate is a crime in Georgia. Providing false info on a vital records application also violates the law.

Georgia State Death Record Resources

Beyond the Jefferson County Health Department, the state has several other search options. The Georgia DPH Vital Records office in College Park 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 Jefferson County death records and records from all 159 Georgia counties.

For historical Jefferson County obituary records, the Georgia Archives in Morrow holds death records from 1919 through 1943. These older records are also available through the Georgia Archives Virtual Vault online. 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. Check the page before you send payment for a Jefferson County death record request.

The image below shows the Jefferson County Health Department page on the Georgia DPH website, where you can find contact details and directions for the Louisville office.

Use this page to confirm hours and get driving directions before you visit the Jefferson County office.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Jefferson County. Any Georgia county vital records office can issue a death certificate for a death that happened anywhere in the state. If you are closer to one of these offices, you may find it easier to get your record there.