Whitfield County Death Records

Whitfield County obituary and death records are handled through the Whitfield County Vital Records office in Dalton. This office serves as 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 onward. The office on Professional Boulevard is the primary location for Whitfield County residents needing death certificates. Dalton is the county seat and the largest city in the county. Many residents from surrounding counties in northwest Georgia also use this office because of its location and services. You can also order records through the state's online system or by mail from the state vital records office.

Whitfield County Vital Records Office

The Whitfield County Vital Records office on Professional Boulevard in Dalton is where you go for death certificates. Staff here can process requests for Whitfield County death records and for deaths that happened in any Georgia county. Walk-in visits are the fastest way to get your records. Most requests are handled the same day.

Bring a valid photo ID when you visit the Whitfield County Vital Records office. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy of a death record. Each extra copy of the same Whitfield County death record costs $5 when ordered at the same time. Cash and money orders are accepted. Older Whitfield County obituary records may take a few extra days if the state needs to pull the file from archives. For mail requests, send a signed application with a photocopy 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 Whitfield County record you need. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15, every death in Georgia must be registered within 10 days, and the funeral director files the certificate within 72 hours.

How to Get Whitfield County Death Records

You can get Whitfield County obituary and death records in three ways. Visit the Vital Records office in Dalton. Send a request by mail. Or order online. Each method costs $25 for the first certified copy.

The Georgia ROVER system is the state's online ordering portal. You can request Whitfield County death certificates from any location through this system. You 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 for the online service. Standard delivery takes 8 to 10 weeks. For a faster result, visit the Vital Records office in Dalton where most walk-in requests are processed the same day. Under Georgia law, funeral directors file the death certificate within 72 hours, so most Whitfield County death records are available within two weeks of the death date.

Mail requests can go to the Whitfield County Vital Records office or the state vital records office in Atlanta. Include a signed letter with your name, address, phone number, and a copy of your photo ID. Give the full name and date of death for the person whose Whitfield County death record you need. Enclose a money order for $25.

Who Can Get Whitfield County Death Certificates

Georgia law sets rules about who can receive certified death certificates. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, you must have a direct and tangible interest to get a certified copy of a Whitfield County death record. This includes the spouse, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren of the deceased. Legal representatives and insurance companies with a claim can also get certified copies.

A certified copy has a raised seal and signatures from the State and County Registrar on security paper. This is the format that courts, banks, and insurance firms need. If you do not have a direct interest in the Whitfield County death record, you can request a non-certified copy. The non-certified version removes the Social Security number but includes the cause, date, and place of death. It works for genealogy and general Whitfield County obituary research. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-27, it is a crime to forge or alter a death certificate. Giving false information on a records request is also illegal in Georgia.

Georgia State Death Record Resources

The Georgia DPH Vital Records office at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349 is the central state resource for death records. Call (404) 679-4702 for information. They handle Whitfield County death records and records from all 159 Georgia counties through walk-in, mail, and phone orders.

The Georgia Archives in Morrow keeps death records from 1919 through 1943 for historical research. The Georgia Archives Virtual Vault offers free online access to some older Whitfield County obituary records. DPH Regulation 511-1-3 governs how vital records are stored and maintained in Georgia. The DPH fee schedule page shows current costs for all vital record types. Check this before you send payment.

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-30, the state registrar has the authority to correct errors on Whitfield County death certificates. Contact the Vital Records office in Dalton or the state office to begin a correction. O.C.G.A. § 31-10-31 covers delayed registrations for deaths that were not filed within the normal time frame.

The image below shows the Whitfield County vital records page on the Georgia DPH website, where you can find contact details for the Dalton office.

Use this page to check office hours and get directions before visiting the Whitfield County Vital Records office.

Whitfield County City Records

Dalton is the county seat and the main city in Whitfield County. Residents of Dalton who need obituary and death records use the Whitfield County Vital Records office on Professional Boulevard. Georgia does not have city-level offices for death certificates. All records are handled at the county or state level.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Whitfield County in northwest 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, you can request your Whitfield County obituary records there.