Ware County Obituary Records

Ware County obituary and death records are handled by the Ware County Health Department in Waycross. This office is 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 to the present. The Health Department on Riverside Drive is the main place for Ware County residents to get death certificates and other vital records. Waycross is the county seat and the largest city in Ware County. The office serves a large area in southeast Georgia, and many residents from surrounding rural counties also use this office since it is the closest full-service health department in the region.

Ware County Health Department

The Ware County Health Department on Riverside Drive in Waycross is the local vital records office. Staff at this office process death certificate requests for Ware County deaths and for deaths that happened in other Georgia counties. Walk-in service is the fastest option for getting your Ware County death records.

You need a valid photo ID to request a Ware County death certificate. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy. Extra copies of the same Ware County death record cost $5 each when ordered at the same time. Cash and money orders are accepted. Most walk-in requests are processed the same day. Some older Ware County obituary records may take longer if the state office has to pull 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. 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, which means most Ware County death records are available within two weeks of the death.

How to Search Ware County Death Records

You can get Ware County obituary and death records three ways. Visit the Health Department in Waycross in person. Send a request by mail. Or order online through the state system. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy with all three methods.

The Georgia ROVER system is the state's online ordering portal for vital records. You can use it to request Ware County death certificates from home. You will need the full name of the person who died, the date of death, and the county where the death took place. ROVER charges the standard $25 state fee plus an $8 processing fee for online orders. Delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks through the system. If you need a Ware County death record sooner, visiting the Health Department in Waycross gets you same-day results in most cases. Georgia law ensures that funeral directors file the certificate promptly, so recent Ware County death records are usually available within two weeks.

Mail orders should be sent to the Ware County Health Department or the state vital records office. Include a signed letter with your name, address, phone number, and a photocopy of your photo ID. Provide the deceased person's full name and date of death. Attach a money order for the fee amount.

Who Can Get Ware County Death Certificates

Georgia law governs who can receive certified copies of death records. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, you need a direct and tangible interest to get a certified copy of a Ware County death record. This includes the spouse, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren of the deceased. Legal representatives and insurance companies with active claims can also receive certified copies.

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. If you do not qualify for a certified copy, you can still request a non-certified version of a Ware County death record. Non-certified copies have the Social Security number removed but still include the cause, date, and place of death. They work well for genealogy research and general lookups of Ware County obituary records. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27, forging or tampering with a death certificate is a crime in Georgia, as is providing false information on a request.

Georgia State Death Record Resources

Beyond the Ware County Health Department, the Georgia DPH Vital Records office at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349 handles requests from across the state. Call (404) 679-4702 for information. They accept walk-in, mail, and phone orders for Ware County death records and records from all 159 Georgia counties.

For historical research, the Georgia Archives in Morrow holds death records from 1919 through 1943. The Georgia Archives Virtual Vault offers free online access to some older Ware County obituary records. DPH Regulation 511-1-3 sets the standards for how vital records are stored and managed. The DPH fee schedule shows current costs for all vital record types.

O.C.G.A. § 31-10-30 gives the state registrar authority to fix mistakes on Ware County death certificates. Contact the Health Department in Waycross or the state office if you find an error. Delayed registrations are covered by O.C.G.A. § 31-10-31.

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

Use this page to confirm the hours and get driving directions before you visit the Ware County Health Department.

Nearby Counties

These counties surround Ware County in southeast Georgia. Any Georgia county vital records office can issue a death certificate for a death that happened anywhere in the state. If one of these offices is closer to you, you can request your Ware County obituary records there.