Pierce County Obituary Records

Pierce County obituary and death records are managed by the Pierce County Probate Court in Blackshear. This court serves as a local agent for the Georgia Department of Public Health and can issue certified death certificates for deaths that occurred anywhere in Georgia from 1919 forward. If you need a Pierce County death record or want to get a copy of a death certificate, the Probate Court on US Highway 84 is your local starting point. You can also order through the state online system or mail a request to the state vital records office in Atlanta.

Pierce County Probate Court

The Pierce County Probate Court in Blackshear is the local vital records office for Pierce County. Staff at this court process death certificate requests for deaths that happened anywhere in Georgia. The office is on US Highway 84 in the Pierce County seat. Walk-in service is the way most residents get their obituary and death records.

Bring a valid photo ID when you visit the Pierce County Probate Court. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy of a death record. Each additional copy ordered at the same time is $5. The court accepts cash and money orders. Walk-in requests for Pierce County death certificates are usually processed the same day. Some older Pierce County obituary records may take longer if the file needs to come from the 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 full name and date of death for the person whose Pierce County death record you need.

How to Search Pierce County Death Records

There are three main ways to get Pierce County obituary and death records. Walk in at the Probate Court in Blackshear. Order by mail. Or use the state's online ordering system. Each method costs $25 for the first certified copy.

For online orders, the Georgia ROVER system lets you request death certificates from any county in Georgia. 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 Pierce County death record sooner, going to the Probate Court in Blackshear is your best option. 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 Pierce County death records enter the system within about two weeks of the death.

Mail orders go to the Pierce 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 Pierce County obituary record you need. Pay by money order.

Who Can Get Pierce County Death Certificates

Georgia law sets out who can get which type of death certificate. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified copies of Pierce County death records are available 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 also qualify.

A certified copy has a raised seal and the signatures of the State and County Registrar. It is on security paper. Banks, courts, and insurance firms need this version. If you do not have a direct interest in a Pierce 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 into Pierce County obituary records. O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27 makes forging or tampering with a death certificate a crime in Georgia.

Anyone can request an obituary record or a non-certified informational copy for family research and genealogy purposes.

Georgia State Death Record Resources

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

For historical Pierce 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. O.C.G.A. § 31-10-31 requires funeral homes to keep their records on file for at least five years. O.C.G.A. § 31-10-30 also lets the state registrar issue certified copies from the statewide file.

The DPH fee schedule page lists current costs. Fees may change, so check before sending payment for a Pierce County death record request.

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

Use this page to confirm hours and get directions before visiting the Pierce County Probate Court in Blackshear.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Pierce 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, requesting your record there may be more convenient.