Thomas County Death Index

Thomas County death index records are held at the county health department in Thomasville. The Thomas County Health Department works with the Southwest Health District to manage all death certificate requests in this part of south Georgia. You can search for a death record by going to the office on Smith Avenue, or you can use one of the state online tools from home. Records at the state level go back to 1919, and some Thomas County files may be even older. This page walks through how to get death records, the fees you will pay, and other ways to look up Thomas County death index data.

Thomas County Health Department

The Thomas County Health Department is the main place to get death certificates in Thomas County. It sits at 484 Smith Avenue in Thomasville, GA 31792. Walk-in visits work best if you need a copy fast. Staff can pull up death records and print a certified copy while you wait. Bring a valid photo ID and know the full name and date of death for the person you are looking up. The office handles birth and death records for all of Thomas County.

This office falls under the Southwest Health District, which covers several counties in the southwest part of the state. The district keeps its own set of vital records and can help if the Thomas County office has trouble finding what you need. Phone calls are a good way to check if a record is on file before you make the trip. Ask for the vital records desk when you call.

Note: Call ahead to confirm hours since the Thomas County Health Department may close for state holidays or staff training days.

Death Certificate Fees in Thomas County

Thomas County death certificates cost $25.00 for the first certified copy. Each extra copy costs $5.00 when you order them at the same time. These fees are set by state law under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26 and apply at every county office in Georgia. You can pay with cash if you go in person. Credit and debit cards work too. Certified checks and money orders are fine for mail requests. Personal checks are not accepted at the Thomas County Health Department.

If you need more than one copy, order them all at once. The $5.00 rate for extra copies only applies to the same visit or the same mail request. If you come back later for another copy, you pay the full $25.00 again. Most people who deal with estates or insurance claims in Thomas County get two or three copies to be safe. Some need even more for banks and courts that each want their own certified version.

How to Search Thomas County Death Records

There are a few ways to search for death records in Thomas County. The most direct path is a visit to the health department in Thomasville. Staff there can look up records by name and date of death. You can also search through state-level tools from home.

Georgia's ROVER system lets you order death certificates online. You will need to make an account and enter the details of the person whose record you want. ROVER works for deaths that happened in Georgia from 1919 to the present. Processing takes a few weeks for mail delivery. VitalChek is another option that adds a service fee on top of the state cost. A third choice is GO Certificates, which also handles Georgia death certificate orders online. All three services can pull Thomas County death records from the state database.

For older or historical death records from Thomas County, the Georgia Archives holds files that go back decades. The Archives has a digital collection of death records from 1919 to 1927 that you can browse for free. The FamilySearch Georgia Death Index covers 1933 through 1998 and costs nothing to use as well. Both are good tools for genealogy work tied to Thomas County.

Who Can Get Thomas County Death Records

Georgia law limits who can get a certified death certificate. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-15, the state requires that you have a direct and tangible interest in the record. Spouses, parents, children, and legal representatives of the deceased can get certified copies from Thomas County. Funeral directors who handled the case also qualify. If you are working on a legal matter like an estate or insurance claim, you may need to show proof of your role.

Anyone can get an informational copy. These are not certified and hold no legal weight. They just show the facts on file. Researchers and genealogists often use informational copies from Thomas County death records for family history work. The Georgia Rules 511-1-3 spell out the full list of who qualifies for certified versus informational copies.

Thomas County Death Records by Mail

You can request Thomas County death records by mail. Send your request to the health department in Thomasville with a money order or certified check for $25.00 made out to the Thomas County Health Department. Include the full name of the deceased, the date of death or a range if you are not sure, and your relationship to the person. Add a copy of your photo ID.

The state office also takes mail requests. Send those 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 take longer than county ones. Expect 8 to 10 weeks for the state office compared to 2 to 4 weeks from the Thomas County office. If your need is urgent, a walk-in visit to Thomasville is the fastest path.

Georgia DPH Third-Party Ordering

The Georgia DPH website lists approved vendors for ordering Thomas County death certificates online.

This page shows third-party ordering options for death records from Thomas County and every other county in the state.

Nearby Counties

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