Gilmer County Death Records

Gilmer County death index records are managed through the Probate Court in Ellijay. If you need a death certificate for someone who died in Gilmer County, the Probate Court on Broad Street is your main point of contact. The court handles all vital records requests for the county, including death certificates that go back to 1919 at the state level. Gilmer County sits in the north Georgia mountains, and most residents visit the Ellijay office in person for the fastest service. This page walks you through how to search for Gilmer County death records, what fees you can expect, and where to find older records online.

Gilmer County Probate Court Office

The Gilmer County Probate Court is the local office that issues death certificates. It sits at 1 Broad Street Suite 104 in Ellijay, GA 30540. Walk-in visits are the fastest way to get a copy. You will need a valid photo ID and the full name plus date of death for the person you are looking up. Staff can search the records and print a certified copy while you wait in most cases.

The Probate Court in Gilmer County works with the Georgia Department of Public Health to keep vital records current. When a death takes place in the county, the attending physician must complete the medical part of the death certificate within 48 hours under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15. The local registrar then sends the record to the state office within two business days. This means Gilmer County death records are available both locally and at the state level once processed.

Note: Call the Gilmer County Probate Court before your visit to check hours and confirm the record is on file.

Death Certificate Fees in Gilmer County

A certified death certificate from Gilmer County costs $25.00 for the first copy. Each extra copy is $5.00 if you order them at the same time. These fees come from O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26 and apply at every county office in Georgia. You can pay with cash at the window. Credit and debit cards work too. Money orders and certified checks are good for mail requests. Personal checks are not accepted at the Gilmer County Probate Court.

Order all your copies at once. The $5.00 rate for extra copies only counts during the same visit or same mail request. If you come back a week later for one more, that is a full $25.00 charge again. People dealing with estates or insurance claims in Gilmer County often get two or three copies to save time and money.

How to Search Gilmer County Death Index

You have several options for finding death records in Gilmer County. The most direct path is a trip to the Probate Court in Ellijay. Staff there can look up records by name and date. But if you prefer to search from home, state-level tools can help.

Georgia's ROVER system is the official state portal for ordering death certificates online. Create an account, enter the details for the person, and pay by credit card. ROVER covers deaths from 1919 to the present. Processing takes several weeks for delivery by mail. VitalChek is a third-party option that adds a service fee. GO Certificates is another approved vendor. Both process Gilmer County death records from the state database.

For historical Gilmer County death records, try the Georgia Archives. They hold death records dating back decades. A digital collection of death records from 1919 to 1927 is free to browse. The FamilySearch Georgia Death Index covers 1933 through 1998 and costs nothing to use.

Note: Online orders through ROVER or third-party sites can take 8 to 10 weeks to arrive by mail.

Who Can Get Gilmer County Death Records

Georgia law controls who can get a certified death certificate. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15, you need a direct and tangible interest in the record. That includes spouses, parents, adult children, and legal representatives of the deceased. Funeral directors who handled the arrangements also qualify. If you are managing an estate or insurance claim tied to a Gilmer County death, bring proof of your role.

Anyone can get an informational copy. These are not certified and hold no legal weight. They show the basic facts on file but leave out certain details like the Social Security number. Genealogists and family history researchers often use these for Gilmer County death records. The Georgia Rules 511-1-3 lay out the full list of who qualifies for certified versus informational copies.

Gilmer County Death Records by Mail

Mail requests work well if you cannot visit Ellijay. Send your request to the Gilmer County Probate Court at 1 Broad Street Suite 104, Ellijay, GA 30540. Include a money order or certified check for $25.00. Write the full name of the deceased, the date of death or a range of years, and your relationship to the person. Add a copy of your photo ID.

You can also mail a request to the state office. Send it to Georgia Department of Public Health, Vital Records, 1680 Phoenix Blvd Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. The phone number there is (404) 679-4702. State mail requests run 8 to 10 weeks. County requests from the Gilmer County Probate Court are usually faster, often 2 to 4 weeks. For urgent needs, a walk-in visit to the courthouse in Ellijay is the quickest way to get what you need.

The Gilmer County Probate Court vital records page is shown below.

The Georgia Department of Public Health website lists the Gilmer County Probate Court and its vital records services.

This page shows the office location, contact details, and the types of vital records available at the Gilmer County Probate Court in Ellijay.

Nearby Counties

These counties share a border with Gilmer County. If you are not sure where a death was filed, check with the neighboring county offices too.