Find White County Obituary Records

White County obituary and death records are managed by the White County Probate Court in Cleveland. This office is a local agent for the Georgia Department of Public Health and can issue certified death certificates for any death that occurred in Georgia from 1919 to today. The Probate Court on South Main Street is the main place White County residents go to get death certificates and other vital records. Cleveland is the county seat, located in the north Georgia mountains. The Probate Court is centrally located near other county offices. You can also order White County death records online through the state system or send your request by mail to the state vital records office.

White County Probate Court

The White County Probate Court on South Main Street in Cleveland handles death certificate requests. Staff can process requests for White County death records and for deaths that occurred in any other Georgia county. Walk-in visits are the fastest way to get your records.

A valid photo ID is required to request a White County death certificate. The cost is $25 for the first certified copy. Each additional copy of the same White County death record is $5 if ordered at the same time. The office takes cash and money orders. Walk-in requests are usually completed the same day. Some older White County obituary records may take extra days if the state archives need to pull the file. 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. Include the full name and date of death for the person you are researching. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15, all deaths in Georgia must be registered within 10 days, and the funeral director files the certificate within 72 hours.

How to Search White County Death Records

Three methods are available for getting White County obituary and death records. Visit the Probate Court in Cleveland. Mail your request. Or order online. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy with each method.

The Georgia ROVER system is the online portal for ordering Georgia vital records. You can request White County death certificates through this system from anywhere. Provide the full name of the deceased, date of death, and county of death. ROVER charges the $25 state fee plus an $8 processing fee. Standard delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks. If you need a White County death record sooner, going to the Probate Court in Cleveland gives you same-day results in most cases. Georgia law ensures that death certificates are filed promptly by funeral directors, so recent White County death records are usually available within two weeks.

Mail orders go to the White County Probate Court or the state vital records office. Include a signed request with your name, address, phone number, a photocopy of your ID, and the full name and date of death. Attach a money order for $25.

Who Can Get White County Death Certificates

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, you need a direct and tangible interest to get a certified copy of a White 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 get certified copies of White County death certificates.

Certified copies include a raised seal and signatures from the State and County Registrar on security paper. Courts, banks, and insurance companies require this type. If you do not have a direct interest, you can still get a non-certified copy of a White County death record. The non-certified version has the Social Security number removed but still shows the cause, date, and place of death. It is useful for genealogy research and general lookups of White County obituary records. O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27 makes it a crime to forge or tamper with a death certificate in Georgia. False information on a vital records application is also illegal.

Georgia State Death Record Resources

The Georgia DPH Vital Records office at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349 serves the entire state. Call (404) 679-4702 for details. They process White County death records and records from all 159 Georgia counties through walk-in, mail, and phone.

Historical White County obituary records from 1919 through 1943 are available at the Georgia Archives in Morrow. The Georgia Archives Virtual Vault provides free online access to some of these older files. DPH Regulation 511-1-3 governs vital records maintenance across Georgia. The DPH fee schedule page lists the latest costs.

O.C.G.A. § 31-10-30 authorizes the state registrar to correct errors on White County death certificates. Contact the Probate Court in Cleveland or the state office to start a correction. Delayed registrations are governed by O.C.G.A. § 31-10-31.

The image below shows the White County Probate Court page on the Georgia DPH website, with details for the Cleveland office.

Check the office hours and directions on this page before visiting the White County Probate Court in Cleveland.

Nearby Counties

These counties border White County in the north Georgia mountains. 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 White County obituary records there.