Find Clarke County Death Records

Clarke County death index records are available through the health department in Athens. Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city-county government, home to the University of Georgia and about 130,000 residents. The Clarke County Health Department on North Harris Street is part of the Northeast Health District and serves as one of three district locations that can issue certified death certificates from any Georgia county. This makes the Clarke County office especially useful since you do not have to go to the county where the death happened. Whether you need a local Clarke County death record or one from elsewhere in the state, this office can help.

Clarke County Health Department

The Clarke County Health Department is on North Harris Street in Athens. This office is special in the Northeast Health District because it is one of three locations where the health department serves as the registrar. That means you can get certified death certificates here not just for Clarke County deaths, but for deaths that occurred in any Georgia county. This is a big advantage if you live in the Athens area and need a record from across the state.

The Northeast Health District confirms this on their website. Walk-in service is the fastest option. Bring your photo ID and the details about the death. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy and $5 for each extra one. Cash and money orders are accepted. No personal checks.

Note: Clarke County is one of three Northeast Health District locations that can issue death certificates from any Georgia county.

Requesting Clarke County Death Certificates

Walk-in visits to the Athens office are the quickest path to a death certificate. Most requests get processed the same day. Fill out the application, show your ID, and pay. If the record is in the system, staff can print a certified copy while you wait. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, the registrar checks your eligibility before releasing certified copies of any death record from the Clarke County death index.

You can also request by mail. Send your request to Clarke County Health Dept Vital Records, 345 N Harris Street, Athens, GA 30601. Include the full name of the person who died, the date and county of death, your relationship, a copy of your ID, and a money order for $25. Mail requests take a few weeks to process. The office handles a large volume of requests since they serve both local and statewide needs.

Online ordering through VitalChek or GO Certificates routes through the state office in Atlanta. This adds a service fee and takes 8 to 10 weeks. For Clarke County residents, the walk-in or mail route through the local office is usually faster than the state online process.

Clarke County Death Index Resources

The Georgia DPH listing for Clarke County has the address and contact details for the Athens office.

The Northeast Health District covers Clarke County and surrounding northeast Georgia counties. The Athens location processes a high volume of death certificate requests due to its ability to pull records from any county in the state.

Who Qualifies for Clarke County Death Records

Certified death certificates are restricted under Georgia law. O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15 names the eligible groups. Spouses, parents, children, grandparents, and grandchildren can get certified copies. Legal representatives like attorneys and estate executors also qualify. Funeral homes that served the family can request copies too.

If you are outside those groups, informational copies are available. They have the same data but are marked as not for legal use. Genealogists and researchers use this type of copy regularly. The state regulations under Rules 511-1-3 detail the full eligibility breakdown. The Clarke County Health Department staff can guide you on what type of copy you qualify for.

State and Online Death Index Options

The state vital records office at 1680 Phoenix Blvd Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349 has Clarke County death records from 1919 on. Call (404) 679-4702 for questions. Since the Clarke County office can pull records from any Georgia county, you may not need to contact the state office at all if you can visit Athens.

For genealogy and historical records, the Georgia Archives hold older files. The FamilySearch Georgia death index is a free search tool. The ROVER system searches across state agencies and can help locate records tied to Clarke County or anywhere in Georgia.

Cities in Clarke County

Athens is the main city in Clarke County. Under the consolidated government, Athens-Clarke County operates as a single unit. All death records for the county go through the health department on North Harris Street. Winterville and Bogart are small communities that also fall within Clarke County.

Nearby Counties

Clarke County is in northeast Georgia. These neighboring counties each have their own death index and registrar office.