Webster County Death Record Search

Webster County obituary and death records are kept by the Webster County Probate Court in Preston. As a local agent for the Georgia Department of Public Health, this office issues certified death certificates for any death that occurred in Georgia from 1919 to the present. The Probate Court on Hamilton Street is the primary place Webster County residents go for death certificates and other vital records. Webster County is one of the smallest counties in Georgia by population, and the Probate Court handles most government record services for the community. You can also order Webster County death records online through the state portal or send a request by mail.

Webster County Probate Court

The Webster County Probate Court on Hamilton Street in Preston is where you go for death certificates. Staff handle requests for Webster County death records and for deaths that happened anywhere in Georgia. Walk-in service is the fastest way to get your records here.

You need a valid photo ID to request a Webster County death certificate. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy. Each extra copy of the same Webster County death record costs $5 when ordered at the same time. Cash and money orders are accepted. Walk-in requests are typically processed the same day. Older Webster County obituary records may take additional time if the state needs to retrieve the file from archives. For mail requests, send a signed 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. Funeral directors are required to file the death certificate within 72 hours of taking charge of the remains.

How to Get Webster County Death Records

Three methods let you get Webster County obituary and death records. Go to the Probate Court in Preston in person. Send a mail request. Or order online through the state system. Each method charges $25 for the first certified copy.

Online orders go through the Georgia ROVER system. This portal lets you request Webster County death certificates from home. You need the full name of the deceased, 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 Webster County death record sooner, visiting the Probate Court in Preston provides same-day service in most cases. Funeral directors file the certificate quickly under Georgia law, so most Webster County death records become available within two weeks of the event.

For mail orders, write to the Webster County Probate Court or the state vital records office. Include your name, address, phone number, a photocopy of your ID, and the full name and date of death for the person whose Webster County death record you need. Attach a money order for the fee amount.

Who Can Get Webster County Death Certificates

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, you must have a direct and tangible interest to receive a certified copy of a Webster County death record. Eligible people include the spouse, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren. Legal representatives and insurance companies with a claim also qualify for certified copies.

A certified copy includes a raised seal and signatures from the State and County Registrar printed on security paper. This is the type that banks, courts, and insurance firms require. If you do not qualify for a certified copy of a Webster County death record, you can still get a non-certified version. This copy has the Social Security number removed but keeps the cause, date, and place of death. Non-certified copies work for genealogy and general Webster County obituary research. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27, forging or altering a death certificate is a crime, and false statements on a records request carry penalties.

Georgia State Death Record Resources

The Georgia DPH Vital Records office at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349 is the main state resource. Phone (404) 679-4702. They process Webster County death records and records from all 159 Georgia counties by walk-in, mail, and phone.

For historical Webster County obituary records, the Georgia Archives in Morrow has death records from 1919 through 1943. The Georgia Archives Virtual Vault offers free online access to some of these older files. DPH Regulation 511-1-3 governs how vital records are stored and maintained across Georgia. The DPH fee schedule page lists current costs for all types of vital records.

O.C.G.A. § 31-10-30 gives the state registrar authority to correct mistakes on Webster County death certificates. Contact the Probate Court in Preston 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 Webster County Probate Court page on the Georgia DPH website, where you can find contact details for the Preston office.

Verify the office hours on this page before making a trip to the Webster County Probate Court.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Webster County in southwest Georgia. 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 more convenient, you can request Webster County obituary records there.