Murray County Obituary Lookup

Murray County obituary and death records are handled by the Murray County Probate Court in Chatsworth. This court is a local agent for the Georgia Department of Public Health, issuing certified death certificates for deaths that occurred anywhere in Georgia from 1919 to the present. If you need a Murray County death record or a copy of a death certificate, the Probate Court on Fort Street is where locals start. You can also use the state online system or mail a request to the state vital records office in Atlanta.

Murray County Probate Court

The Murray County Probate Court in Chatsworth is the local vital records office for Murray County. Staff at this court process death certificate requests for deaths that happened anywhere in Georgia. The office sits on Fort Street in the Murray County seat. Walk-in service is how most people get their death records here, and the staff is familiar with handling obituary and death record requests.

When you visit the Murray County Probate Court, bring a valid photo ID. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy of a death record. Each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $5. The court takes cash and money orders. Walk-in requests for Murray County death certificates usually get processed the same day. Some older Murray County obituary records may take longer if the file needs to be pulled from state archives. For mail requests, send a completed application along with a copy of your ID and a money order payable to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Be sure to include the full name and date of death for the person whose Murray County death record you are requesting.

How to Search Murray County Death Records

There are three main ways to get Murray County obituary and death records. You can walk in at the Probate Court in Chatsworth. You can mail your request. Or you can order online through the state system. Each method has the same base fee of $25 for the first certified copy.

For online orders, the Georgia ROVER system lets you request death certificates from any county. You will need the full name of the person who died, the date of death, and the county where the death occurred. ROVER charges the $25 state fee plus an $8 processing fee. Standard delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks. If you need a Murray County death record faster, visiting the Probate Court in Chatsworth is the best bet. 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. So most Murray County death records show up in the system within about two weeks of the death.

Mail orders go to the Murray County Probate Court or the state office in Atlanta. Include a signed request with your name, address, phone number, and a copy of your photo ID. Also list the full name and date of death for the person whose Murray County obituary record you need. Pay by money order.

Who Can Get Murray County Death Certificates

Georgia law controls who can get what type of death certificate. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified copies of Murray County death records go to people with a direct and tangible interest. That means the spouse, adult children, parents, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren of the deceased. Legal representatives and insurance companies also qualify for certified copies of Murray County death certificates.

A certified copy has a raised seal and the signatures of the State and County Registrar. It comes on security paper. Banks, courts, and insurance firms typically need this type of copy for legal purposes. If you do not have a direct interest in a Murray County death record, you can still get a non-certified version. The non-certified copy has the Social Security number removed but still shows the cause, date, and place of death. It works well for genealogy research and for general look-ups of Murray County obituary records. O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27 makes forging or tampering with a death certificate a crime in Georgia.

Georgia State Death Record Resources

Beyond the Murray County Probate Court, the state offers other ways to search for death records. 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 Murray County death records and records from all 159 Georgia counties.

For historical Murray 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 the state. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-30, the state registrar has the authority to issue certified copies from the statewide file for any Murray County death record on file.

The DPH fee schedule page lists current costs for all vital record types. Check fees before you send payment for a Murray County death record request, as they can change.

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

Use this page to confirm hours and directions before you visit the Murray County Probate Court in Chatsworth.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Murray 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 request your record there.