Georgia Death Index
Georgia death index records go back to 1919 at the state level. The Department of Public Health keeps these death records at its main office in Atlanta. All 159 counties hold their own files. Some have even older records. You can search online. Mail and walk-in requests work too. County health departments and probate courts both issue death certificates to those who qualify. Georgia runs a dual system where both the state office and each local county can fill death record requests for people who show a valid need. This guide covers where to find Georgia death index records, what they cost, and how to search.
Georgia Death Index Quick Facts
Searching the Georgia Death Index
The Georgia Department of Public Health runs the state death index. Their death records page spells out how to request a death certificate. You need the full name of the person who died, the date of death, and the county where it took place. The state office has records from January 1919 to the present for all deaths that took place in Georgia. A death certificate is an official record of the cause, date, and place of death signed by a physician.
The state office is not your only choice. Georgia has 159 county vital records offices. Some counties may have death records older than 1919 in their own files. You can contact those offices on your own. The county office directory lists all locations. Each county uses either a health department or a probate court to handle death index requests.
Walk-in service at a county office is fast. Most can print a death certificate on demand. Some cases take up to 72 hours. Mail requests to the state office take 8 to 10 weeks.
How to Order Georgia Death Records Online
Georgia gives you three ways to order death records online. The online ordering page from the state health department lists all approved options. You need a credit card for any online order. Each method has its own timeline and fees for getting Georgia death index records.
The first option is ROVER, the official state ordering system. ROVER lets you order a death certificate with a major credit card. Processing and shipping take up to 10 weeks. This is the state system, so there are no extra service charges beyond the base fee. ROVER handles both birth and death certificate orders for the Georgia death index.
The second option is GO Certificates. This is an approved third-party vendor. Standard orders ship within 8 to 10 weeks. Expedited orders get confirmed in 24 hours and process in about 5 business days. A surcharge and expedite fee apply on top of the base cost for death certificates.
The third option is VitalChek. It works like GO Certificates. Standard requests mail within 8 to 10 weeks. You can call their toll-free line at 877-572-6343 to order by phone. VitalChek also charges a surcharge for credit card payment on Georgia death records.
Note: Expedited services may be paused at times due to high volume at the state office.
Georgia Death Certificate Fees
The fees page from the Georgia Department of Public Health lays out all costs. Georgia law requires prepayment before a record or service can be provided. Fees are not refundable after a service is done. If the death record is found, a certified copy comes with the search. If the record is not found, you get a not-on-file letter instead.
The fee for a death certificate is $25 for the first copy. Each extra copy in the same order costs $5. Fetal death certificates cost $10 plus $5 for each extra copy. Current year corrections are free. Amendments cost $10 plus the price of the new certificate. These fees are the same at the state office and all 159 county offices in Georgia.
You can pay with credit or debit cards for walk-in or online orders. Cash works for walk-in only. Certified checks and money orders are fine. Personal checks are not accepted for Georgia death index requests.
Historical Death Records in Georgia
The Georgia Archives is the go-to place for old death records. Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1919. Death records from 1919 to 1927 are indexed and free to view online through the Georgia Archives digital vault. Records from 1919 to 1943 are also indexed on FamilySearch.org. The original documents through 1943 are stored at the Georgia Archives building in Morrow. For death certificates from 1944 to now, you go through the Georgia Department of Public Health.
The digital death certificates collection lets you search Georgia death records from 1919 to 1927 at no cost. Some listings go back to 1914. This is a great tool for family history work. The database is powered by CONTENTdm and you can search by name, date, or county.
Before 1919, death records in Georgia are hard to find. In 1914 the State Board of Health was charged with collecting vital statistics, but early registration was thin. The few certificates filed were grouped by year and placed in binders. A law in 1875 tried to mandate statewide death registration, but few counties followed through. Funding ran out after just two years. Some of those early records survive on microfilm at the Georgia Archives for a handful of counties. City records go back further in a few places. Savannah started recording deaths in 1803. Atlanta began in 1889. Macon started in 1882, and Augusta in 1904.
Who Can Get a Georgia Death Certificate
Georgia draws a line between certified copies and plain paper copies of death records. Certified copies include the full details, such as Social Security number and cause of death. Only people with a direct and tangible interest in the record can get a certified copy. Under O.C.G.A. Section 31-10-26, the state registrar or local custodian issues certified copies upon written request with valid proof of relationship.
People who qualify for a certified Georgia death certificate include the legal spouse, adult children, adult siblings, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, and legal representatives or guardians. Beneficiaries, insurance companies, and others with a tangible interest may also qualify. Plain paper copies with the Social Security number blacked out are available to the general public. Cause of death may be left off a plain paper copy if the requester asks for that.
The main vital records page for Georgia has more on what forms you need to prove your right to a certified death certificate.
Georgia Death Index Laws
O.C.G.A. Section 31-10-15 covers how death certificates must be filed in Georgia. A physician must complete the medical certification within 48 hours after a death. When death occurs without medical attendance, the proper person must investigate and complete the certification within 30 days. Death certificates from 1944 to now are kept by the Georgia Department of Public Health. If the cause of death cannot be pinned down within 48 hours, final disposition cannot proceed until the state gives the go-ahead.
The Georgia Rules and Regulations 511-1-3 go into more detail on vital records handling. A certified copy means a copy printed on colored stock with the raised seal of the State Registrar. Death reports filed with a local registrar must be sent to the state office within two business days. These rules also spell out who can get copies and under what conditions.
Senate Bill 372, signed into law in 2020, changed the embargo dates for vital records transfer to the State Archives. Death records now have a 100-year embargo, raised from the old 75-year rule. This means death records stay with the state registrar for 100 years before going to the Georgia Archives. A later bill, House Bill 92, was proposed to roll this back to 75 years, but the 100-year rule still stands. The FamilySearch Georgia Death Index covers records from 1933 to 1998 and is free to search with a FamilySearch account.
Georgia Death Record Request Forms
The state provides a form called the Request for Search of Death Record (Form 3912). You fill this out for any mail-in request to the state office. The form asks for the name of the person who died, the date of death, the county where it happened, and your connection to the record. You must include your payment with the form. Mail it to the State Office of Vital Records at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349.
Other forms you might need for Georgia death records include the Affidavit for Current Year Correction (free to file), the Affidavit for Amendment (Form 3977, costs $10 plus the certificate fee), and the Death Correction Requirements document. All of these are on the Georgia DPH website. If you need to correct a recent death certificate, the current year correction process costs nothing. Older records need the amendment form and fee. The state office phone number is (404) 679-4702 for questions about any death index form.
Browse Georgia Death Records by County
Each county in Georgia keeps its own death index at a county health department or probate court. Pick a county below to find local contact info and resources for death records in that area.
Death Index Records in Major Georgia Cities
City residents in Georgia get death records through their county vital records office. Pick a city below to find out which county handles death records for that area.