Marion County Death Index
Death records for Marion County are managed by the Health Department in Buena Vista. The Marion County Health Department is part of the West Central Health District and handles all vital records requests for the county. Marion County is a small, rural county in west-central Georgia. If you need a death certificate from Marion County, the Health Department is the local office to visit. You can also use state online tools to search for death records. Georgia death records at the state level go back to 1919. This page covers how to get Marion County death certificates, the fees, who can request them, and where to find historical death index records.
Marion County Death Index Facts
Marion County Health Department
The Marion County Health Department is at 100 North Broad Street, Buena Vista, GA 31803. This is the main office for death certificates in Marion County. Walk-in visits are the fastest way to get a copy. Bring a valid photo ID and know the full name and date of death of the person you need.
Staff at the Marion County Health Department can search the death index and print a certified copy while you wait. The process is usually same-day. This office falls under the West Central Health District, which serves several counties in the region. If the local office cannot find a record, the district office may be able to help. Call ahead if you want to check whether a record is on file before driving to Buena Vista.
Deaths in Georgia are filed in the county where they happened. If someone lived in Marion County but died in another county, the record would be on file there. The staff can guide you to the right office if they do not have the death record you are looking for.
| Office | Marion County Health Department |
|---|---|
| Address | 100 North Broad Street, Buena Vista, GA 31803 |
| District | West Central Health District |
Note: The Marion County Health Department may have limited hours on some days, so calling ahead is a good idea.
Marion County Death Certificate Costs
A Marion County death certificate costs $25.00 for the first certified copy. Extra copies are $5.00 each if ordered at the same time. O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26 sets these prices for every county in Georgia.
Cash is fine for in-person visits at the Marion County Health Department. Credit and debit cards work too. Mail requests require a money order or certified check. Personal checks are not accepted at any Georgia vital records office. The fee is non-refundable if no record is found. If you need multiple copies for estate or legal work, order them all at once. Going back later costs the full $25.00 per copy.
How to Search Marion County Death Index
Visiting the Health Department in Buena Vista is the quickest local option. Staff search by name and date of death. Online tools are another path.
Georgia runs the ROVER system for online vital records ordering. Make an account, enter the deceased person's information, and pay with a credit card. ROVER covers Georgia deaths from 1919 to the present. VitalChek and GO Certificates are state-approved third-party vendors. Both handle online orders with added service fees. All three can pull Marion County death records from the state database. Processing runs several weeks for any online order.
Historical Marion County death records can be found at the Georgia Archives. The digital collection of death certificates from 1919 to 1927 is free to browse online. The FamilySearch Georgia Death Index covers 1933 to 1998 and is also free.
Who Can Get Marion County Death Records
Certified death certificates from Marion County require a direct and tangible interest under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15. Spouses, parents, adult children, grandchildren, legal guardians, and legal representatives all qualify. Funeral directors who handled the case can also request copies.
Plain paper copies are available to anyone. The Social Security number is removed on these versions. Cause of death may be left off too. These copies work for genealogy and research but have no legal weight. Georgia Rules 511-1-3 detail the complete eligibility rules for both types of death record copies.
Marion County Death Records by Mail
Mail requests go to the Marion County Health Department at 100 North Broad Street, Buena Vista, GA 31803. Include the full name and date of death of the deceased, your relationship to them, a photo ID copy, and a money order or certified check for $25.00.
You can also request from the state office at Georgia Department of Public Health, Vital Records, 1680 Phoenix Blvd Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Call (404) 679-4702 with questions. State mail requests take 8 to 10 weeks. The Marion County Health Department usually responds within 2 to 4 weeks.
The Marion County Health Department page is shown below.
The Georgia Department of Public Health website lists the Marion County Health Department and its vital records services.
This page shows the Marion County Health Department office in Buena Vista and the death record services it provides.
Nearby Counties
These counties are next to Marion County. If you are not sure where a death was recorded, check these nearby offices.