Putnam County Death Index
Putnam County death index records are filed at the Probate Court in Eatonton. If you need to find a death record from Putnam County, the Probate Court is the first place to check. The court keeps vital records on file and can pull death certificates for people who died in the county. State-level tools also let you search for Putnam County death records from home. Georgia has kept death records since 1919, and the Probate Court in Eatonton can help you track down files from that time to now. This page walks through the steps to get a death certificate and where to look for older records.
Putnam County Death Index Facts
Putnam County Probate Court
The Putnam County Probate Court handles death certificate requests in Eatonton. The office is at 100 South Jefferson Street, Eatonton, GA 31024. Walk-in visits are the fastest way to get a copy. You can ask for a death record at the counter, and staff will look it up by name and date of death. Bring a photo ID with you. If you know the year of death, that helps the clerk find the file quicker.
Putnam County falls under the North Central Health District, which covers several counties in the central part of the state. The district office can sometimes help if the Probate Court has trouble locating a specific record. Most people start at the Eatonton office, though, since the court staff knows the local files well and can point you to other sources if the record is not on hand.
| Office | Putnam County Probate Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 100 South Jefferson Street, Eatonton, GA 31024 |
| District | North Central Health District |
Note: The Putnam County Probate Court may close for county holidays not listed on the state calendar.
Death Certificate Fees in Putnam County
A certified death certificate from Putnam County costs $25.00. 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. Cash works for in-person visits. Money orders and certified checks are best for mail requests. Some offices take debit or credit cards, but check with the Putnam County Probate Court first.
Order all the copies you need at once. That $5.00 rate for extra copies only kicks in when you request them during the same visit or in the same letter. Come back a week later and you pay $25.00 again for a fresh request. People handling estates, insurance claims, or property transfers in Putnam County often grab two or three copies so they have enough to go around.
Search the Putnam County Death Index
You have several ways to look up death records tied to Putnam County. The Probate Court in Eatonton can search by name and date of death right at the counter. For online searches, the state has a few tools that pull from the same central database.
Georgia's ROVER system is the main online portal for death certificates. You make an account, type in the details, and order a copy that gets mailed to you. ROVER covers deaths from 1919 on. It takes a few weeks for the certificate to arrive. VitalChek offers a faster option with rush delivery, but they add a service fee on top of the $25.00. GO Certificates is another state-approved site that processes Georgia death certificate orders. All three can pull Putnam County records from the state files.
If you want older or historical death records from Putnam County, try the Georgia Archives. They hold death files going back to the start of state registration. The Archives also has a digital set of death records from 1919 to 1927 that you can view free online. The FamilySearch Georgia Death Index covers 1933 to 1998 and costs nothing to search.
Who Can Get Putnam County Death Records
Georgia controls who can get a certified death certificate. The rule comes from O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15. You need a direct and tangible interest in the record. That means spouses, parents, children, and legal agents of the dead person can get certified copies. Funeral homes that handled the case qualify too. If you are settling an estate or filing an insurance claim in Putnam County, bring proof of your role.
Informational copies are open to anyone. These copies show the same facts but are not certified. They carry no legal weight. Genealogists and family history buffs use them often. The Georgia Rules 511-1-3 lay out the full breakdown of who gets certified versus informational copies. The Putnam County Probate Court can tell you which type fits your situation.
Putnam County Death Records by Mail
Mail requests work if you cannot visit Eatonton. Send a letter to the Putnam County Probate Court at 100 South Jefferson Street, Eatonton, GA 31024. Include a money order or certified check for $25.00. Write down the full name of the deceased, the date of death or a rough range, and your relationship to the person. Put a copy of your photo ID in the envelope.
The state office takes mail requests too. Send those to Georgia Department of Public Health, Vital Records, 1680 Phoenix Blvd Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. You can call (404) 679-4702 if you have questions about a state-level request. The state office takes longer to process mail orders. Plan on 8 to 10 weeks. The Putnam County office usually turns things around in 2 to 4 weeks. If time matters, drive to Eatonton or use one of the online ordering tools.
Note: Always send mail requests with tracking so you can confirm the Putnam County Probate Court received your letter.
The Putnam County Probate Court listing is shown below.
The Georgia Department of Public Health website lists the Putnam County Probate Court and its vital records services.
This page shows the office location and contact details for the Putnam County Probate Court in Eatonton where you can request death certificates.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Putnam County. If you are not sure where a death was recorded, check the neighboring county offices too.