Start here: Georgia agencies and county custodians
Georgia's Department of Community Affairs used a 2024 population of 11,180,878 in its 2025 allocation formula. The state's records remain distributed among local offices and statewide agencies. Georgia has 159 counties, also identified in the Department of Public Health's vital records administration information. A county's court files, tax records and vital records can therefore require several searches even when they concern the same person or property.
For a case, start with the court class and county. The Georgia Judicial Gateway connects judicial services, but it does not turn every local database into one complete case file. For a statewide criminal history inquiry, follow the Georgia Crime Information Center, known as GCIC, and the GBI's instructions for the particular type of check.
For certificates, the State Office of Vital Records is the state starting point. Marriage records may require the county probate court; divorce decrees come from the superior court clerk. For property, the Department of Revenue's county directory distinguishes the Board of Tax Assessors, which handles valuation, from the Tax Commissioner, which collects ad valorem taxes.
Georgia also has a statewide clerks' resource. The official Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority description explains its real estate, UCC and related indexes. Use those indexes to identify a recorded instrument, then follow the clerk's procedure for the copy or certification you need. Our Georgia property records and recorded documents pages keep assessment and recording routes separate.
Georgia's Open Records Act in 2026
Georgia's general access law is the Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 and following. The Attorney General publishes the Act's text and explains how to request agency records. Under section 50-18-71, an agency should produce responsive records within a reasonable time, no longer than three business days, subject to the law's provisions for records that cannot be made available within that period.
When responsive records exist but are unavailable within three business days, the agency must describe the records and provide a timeline within that period, then provide access as soon as practicable. Records that can be located and produced within the initial period should be made available. The three day rule therefore does not authorize an agency to remain silent until a difficult search is finished, nor does it guarantee that every large request will be completed in three days.
Ordinary letter or legal size copies cost no more than 10 cents per page. Search, retrieval and redaction charges generally use the prorated salary of the lowest paid full-time employee with the necessary skill and training, with the first fifteen minutes free. Specific statutory fees for certificates or other records take precedence where applicable. A Georgia birth certificate, for example, is not priced as a ten-cent Open Records Act photocopy.
If estimated costs exceed $25, section 50-18-71 requires a timely estimate, ordinarily within three business days. The agency may wait for agreement to the estimated charge unless the requester has already authorized enough to cover it. Estimated costs above $500 can require prepayment. Stating an initial spending limit helps the Georgia custodian know whether approval is needed before continuing the search.
The Attorney General's request instructions explain that a custodian withholding a record must identify the applicable statutory exemption. The Act requires the specific Code section, subsection and paragraph, rather than an unexplained statement that a file is confidential. Exempt portions can be withheld without automatically closing the entire record.
For a local government dispute, the Attorney General's Open Government Mediation Program offers an informal review route. The office decides whether a complaint is suitable for mediation; submitting one is not a promise of a particular outcome. Section 50-18-73 also provides for enforcement in superior court. Georgia's enforcement provisions depend on a written request, making a retained copy of the original submission especially useful.
Georgia courts, dockets and copies
The judiciary's 2025 guide to Georgia's court system identifies seven classes of trial court, including the statewide business court, and two appellate courts. It describes 50 superior court circuits made up of one or more counties. Superior courts handle felony trials and have exclusive jurisdiction over divorce, while other classes handle different parts of the state's judicial business.
The same guide distinguishes state courts' misdemeanor and civil work, magistrate courts' limited civil and criminal jurisdiction, probate matters and municipal cases. That division is the first search decision. A superior court portal should not be assumed to contain every municipal traffic case or probate estate in the county. Our Georgia court records directory connects these different court services.
Local access varies. Augusta-Richmond County's case management search provides a local entry point, while its traffic citation page concerns a separate service. Chatham County Courts links public re:Search access, probate records and local court resources. Clayton County's case inquiry and court calendars should likewise be used for their different purposes.
The Cobb Superior Court Clerk's search page separates court records, real estate records and archived real estate records. For a document already identified, its mail copy instructions list a final divorce decree at $3 for a regular copy or $10 certified. A decree with the settlement agreement is $9 regular or $24 certified. These are the clerk's posted mail-order examples, not statewide prices for every court or delivery method.
Macon-Bibb provides a useful distinction between platforms. Its Superior Court public records page directs criminal and civil document research to reSearchGa, while eSearch remains a route for land or historical records. Its State Court page expressly explains that the PeachCourt filing portal is not the court's file. Select the record access service, rather than assuming a filing account provides the complete docket.
The Dougherty County court search offers party and case-number routes. Historical coverage needs separate attention in Macon-Bibb: its civil magistrate search page divides records before and after December 2018 and currently warns that the older search link is down. Ask that clerk about an older file rather than interpreting the unavailable search as evidence that no case exists.
For appeals, use the Court of Appeals docket page or Supreme Court docket search. The older Court of Appeals link page now announces its new addresses. Federal cases filed in Georgia are separate from these state systems and are accessed through PACER.
Criminal history, consent and Georgia Felon Search
GCIC maintains Georgia criminal history information, but the GBI's criminal history FAQ states that GCIC does not conduct name-based checks for requesters. The local sheriff or police department is the route for those inquiries. The FAQ describes Georgia history as including identifying information, arrest information, reported dispositions and custody information where applicable.
Access depends on the purpose and product. Under O.C.G.A. 35-3-34, private parties generally need the subject's signed consent for another person's Georgia criminal history. The GBI separately identifies section 35-3-34(d.2) as authorizing access to felony conviction information without that consent. The two routes should not be described as a single unrestricted search for every Georgia arrest.
The state's Georgia Felon Search costs $15 per search. The charge applies even when no record is found, and multiple possible matches can result in a $15 charge for each record selected. The service FAQ explains that only felony convictions reported to GCIC are searched and returned. It also warns that a name and demographic match cannot positively establish identity in the way a fingerprint comparison can.
For employment or licensing fingerprints, use the Georgia Applicant Processing Service, or GAPS. GBI's published instructions describe the Idemia collection route and tell agencies how to receive results. Use the receiving agency's service instructions before booking fingerprints. A GAPS submission for a licensing program and a $15 public felony search are different services, with different authorization and result delivery.
If a Georgia criminal history is incomplete or inaccurate, the GBI FAQ explains that GCIC needs documentation or authorization from the agency that supplied the information. A correction can therefore require the originating police agency, prosecutor or court. The GCIC information page provides related agency materials, while our Georgia criminal records directory connects repository and court routes.
Arrest reports, local jail bookings and state custody
Georgia's Open Records Act distinguishes an investigation from its initial reports. Section 50-18-72(a)(4), in the Attorney General's published Act, addresses pending law enforcement and prosecution records but excludes initial police arrest reports and initial incident reports from that particular exemption. Requesting an initial report is therefore different from asking for every item in an active investigative file.
A local booking is also different from state prison custody. The Chatham County sheriff's booking page is a local jail resource with a selected booking period. The Bibb County inmate search is another local service. Use the sheriff responsible for the jail involved, then obtain the court disposition from the appropriate clerk if the question concerns what ultimately happened to the charges.
The Department of Corrections' Find an Offender page describes its search as covering people currently in GDC facilities. The GDC search entry carries the department's terms. GDC asks users to verify information through written correspondence with Inmate Records and Information in Forsyth before relying on it as complete and factual. The state's service description identifies the online search as free.
Parole has a separate State Board of Pardons and Paroles search. The Board's Tentative Parole Month explanation makes another distinction: a tentative month is not a final release decision. It identifies when the Board expects to complete its final review, subject to applicable conditions. Federal custody requires the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator. These services should not be combined into a claim that GDC covers every detained or supervised person in Georgia.
Wanted notices are agency-specific as well. The Paulding County Warrants and Civil Division provides its own service information, and the GBI robberies page concerns selected investigations. Neither is a complete statewide warrant index. Our Georgia warrants directory helps continue with the agency responsible for the notice or warrant.
Birth, death, marriage and divorce records
Georgia's birth records instructions place state coverage at January 1919 forward. For earlier records, DPH directs researchers to the county where the birth occurred or the Georgia Archives. Certified birth records require a direct and tangible interest, with identification and relationship documentation appropriate to the applicant. The department provides Request for Search of Birth, Form 3918, and separate procedures for corrections and amendments.
The DPH fee schedule, updated in March 2026, lists $25 for a birth or death certificate and $5 for additional copies ordered together. Payment is required before the service. If the record is not found, the department issues a not-on-file letter rather than refunding a completed search. DPH does not accept personal checks; payment options depend on whether the order is by mail, online or in person.
Death record access depends on the copy requested. The death records page reserves certified copies for applicants with a direct and tangible interest, including primary family members and qualifying legal representatives. DPH's online ordering instructions also explain that members of the public can obtain a plain paper death record with the Social Security number redacted. That public copy should not be confused with a certified certificate for legal use.
The same online instructions describe additional processing charges for the listed ordering service. Compare the full service total with an order through a county vital records office or the State Office. The state's certificate ordering guide sets out preparation and application steps. Use the precise event type and copy type when selecting the service.
For marriage records, the State Office's collection covers June 1952 through August 1996. Records outside that period come from the probate office in the county where the license was issued. DPH lists a $10 search and $5 for additional copies ordered together. A certified copy of the marriage application is limited to the two parties. The application, marriage certificate and verification are not identical records.
For divorce, Georgia's vital records explanation directs copies to the superior court clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. State confirmation of a divorce does not replace the decree. Historical burial research has other routes: Augusta's Graveside Project describes city cemetery records, while the Douglas County Cemetery Preservation Commission explains its burial research resources. Our Georgia vital records directory connects certificate and historical sources.
Deeds, tax assessors, commissioners and maps
Georgia separates the assessment of property from collection of its taxes. The Department of Revenue identifies the county Board of Tax Assessors as responsible for real and personal property valuation, and the Tax Commissioner as responsible for ad valorem tax collection. An assessment card, tax balance and deed are therefore records of different functions, even when they share a parcel identifier.
For recorded instruments, the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority search provides statewide real estate, lien, plat and UCC routes. Its account comparison distinguishes index information from document images and enhanced search tools. The Limited-Use account has no recurring monthly charge and allows index summaries, but does not allow viewing or printing images. Check the authority's current account terms before choosing a paid service.
Local clerks remain useful when the instrument is already identified. The Dougherty County real estate search displays separate data-through dates for its record categories. Cobb's Real Estate Division explains where deeds, plats and legal descriptions are held. Give the clerk the county, recording reference and document type when asking for the corresponding record, rather than treating a tax account number as a complete document citation.
For assessment work, the Cherokee County Tax Assessor is a different office from the county's tax payment service. For tax collection information, use the Gordon County Tax Commissioner, Houston County Tax Commissioner or Macon-Bibb County Tax Commissioner, according to the property's location. Camden and Columbia counties publish their own Camden tax payment and Columbia tax payment routes.
Maps provide another layer. Augusta Maps, Cobb Community Development GIS, Douglas County GIS and the Fulton property map viewer offer geographic entry points. Use the agency's own description of each map layer; a planning map and a recorded plat are different Georgia records.
City taxes can require a municipal search as well as a county inquiry. Kennesaw's property tax page provides city-specific information. For local payment options elsewhere, use the responsible government's gateway, such as Pierce County's online payments or Vidalia's payment page, and select the correct account category rather than assuming every payment link is a property search.
Business filings, trade names and professional licensing
Use the Secretary of State's eCorp business search for registered entities. The Corporations Division FAQ explains an important limitation for people searches: Georgia LLC filings require the registered agent, but the division does not list LLC members or managers. A registered agent entry should not be presented as an ownership roster.
Current document charges differ from older published examples. The fee schedule effective September 6, 2025 lists a Certificate of Existence at $20, consisting of a $10 fee and $10 service charge, for online or paper requests. The processing instructions explain that online Certificate of Existence and certified copy requests are processed immediately without an expedite fee.
The Secretary's annual registration instructions give a January 1 through April 1 filing window. The current total is $60 for an LLC and the listed for-profit entity categories, $40 for a nonprofit corporation and $35 for a foreign LLP. The late filing penalty is $25. These are filing charges, distinct from searching the entity record or buying a certificate.
Trade names are local. Georgia's DBA instructions direct a business to the superior court clerk in the county where it is located. The county trade name record identifies use of the name; it does not create a separate legal entity. A search for an Atlanta-area trade name may therefore require the appropriate county clerk even when an eCorp entity search produces no match.
Professional credentials require the correct regulator. The Secretary of State's GOALS page describes its licensing system and current coverage. The older verification gateway remains a separate published route, so follow the board's current instructions for the profession involved. The Georgia State Board of Accountancy provides CPA verification, while the Georgia Composite Medical Board handles its own regulated professions.
Financial regulation is another distinct system. The Department of Banking and Finance search directory identifies state-chartered institutions and other entities it regulates. Its installment lender instructions direct license and final regulatory action searches to NMLS Consumer Access, with the company's NMLS number as the most precise identifier.
For insurance, use the Commissioner's agent, agency and company search; its agency licensing page explains a different administrative task. The same office has a Safety Fire licensed professionals search, including equipment-related categories. Georgia real estate credentials have a Real Estate Commission search, and the judiciary's Board of Court Reporting governs its profession. Our Georgia licenses directory links these separate authorities.
The GBI sex offender registry
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation's registry page identifies O.C.G.A. 42-1-12 as its governing authority. GBI serves as the central location for registry data supplied by other agencies. The public Georgia Sex Offender Registry has its own conditions of use and is updated as information changes.
GBI provides both the public search route and a downloadable file of current registry data from its service page. The agency cautions that information comes from other sources and changes frequently. If a Georgia registry entry is part of a larger records inquiry, distinguish the registration information from the superior court judgment or the GDC custody entry that may concern the same person.
A registry search also has a different scope from Georgia Felon Search. The latter searches reported felony conviction information through GCIC; the registry concerns registration under its own statute. A search returning no match in one system does not establish that the other system contains no relevant record. Follow GBI's current registry page for its contact information and data access options.
Georgia unclaimed property through the Department of Revenue
Georgia places its unclaimed property program with the Department of Revenue. The department's search and claim instructions describe property such as unpaid wages, refunds, insurance proceeds, savings accounts, stocks and safe deposit contents. Searching and claiming are free. A person can begin with a name and narrow results by city.
The Georgia process separates a search from submission of a claim. Filing requires a free registered account, which also permits online status checks. DOR explains that estate and business searches require additional identifying information, and those claims can require a printed claim form with supporting documentation. Use the official claim route for that information rather than putting it in a general records request.
The department's claims FAQ says most claims are paid within 30 days after receipt, while processing can take up to 90 days. It also says claims are paid by paper check mailed to the address registered with the claim, rather than electronically. Treat those periods as the department's published processing guidance, not a guarantee that every incomplete or disputed claim will be paid on the same schedule.
If a Georgia property notification does not match the online display, the FAQ directs the claimant to contact DOR with the owner, reporting holder and amount. Keep the claim number after filing because the department also uses it when addressing payment problems. The claim service is separate from the county property tax databases described earlier in this guide.
Driving history and My Voter Page
The Department of Driver Services publishes the current Georgia motor vehicle report instructions. A three year report costs $7; a seven year or lifetime report costs $9. The online account route offers three or seven year reports. Mail requests can use a letter or Form DDS-18 and can request the lifetime option as well.
DDS distinguishes the noncertified viewing product from a certified report. The noncertified report remains available for viewing for 30 days and can be printed. DDS says the certified version is printed, certified and mailed, rather than displayed online. For a request concerning another driver, the instructions require that driver's signature. Select the format required by the recipient before ordering a Georgia MVR.
For voter information, use the Secretary of State's My Voter Page. It provides registration status, polling location, county early voting locations and sample ballots for upcoming elections. This is a personal voter service, separate from the Secretary's corporate filing and professional licensing systems even though all three are state services.
County election offices supply local administration and assistance. The DeKalb County voter registration page is one local starting point, and the Secretary of State website provides the statewide elections route. Use our Georgia voter records directory to locate additional county resources. A county tax search, property owner record or municipal utility account does not replace the voter registration status shown by the election authority.
Writing a Georgia Open Records Act request
Send the request to the Georgia agency that holds the record. The Attorney General's instructions for requesters say to use the custodian or designated officer shown on the agency website. The Governor's Office, GCIC and a county superior court clerk do not hold identical files merely because they are all part of Georgia government.
Name the existing record and define its scope. For a Georgia county contract, identify the department, project, contract date and the payment or procurement records sought. For an initial police incident report, identify the police agency, date, location and incident number if available. This ties the request to the records described in the Open Records Act rather than asking an office to conduct a new investigation.
Use writing even though Georgia permits oral requests. The Attorney General explains that written requests clarify scope and timing, and enforcement actions under the Act depend on a written submission. Keep the sent message, portal acknowledgment or delivered letter so the three business day response period can be assessed against the actual request.
State the format and an initial cost limit. Georgia's section 50-18-71 rules distinguish staff time, ordinary copies, electronic media and separately authorized certificate charges. If the agency expects costs above $25, its estimate is an opportunity to narrow the search before work proceeds. A request for an identified period of county invoices is easier to price than an undefined request for every record relating to a company.
If access is refused, retain the cited exemption and the response date. For a local government problem, the Open Government Mediation Program can evaluate a complaint. The Attorney General notes that complaint submissions themselves become open records and may be shared with the government involved. Provide the request and response relevant to the dispute without adding unrelated personal documents.
Georgia record guides on SearchSystems.net
The Georgia arrest records guide follows local reports and the state's criminal history access routes. The Georgia background check guide examines GCIC, consent and fingerprint submissions in more detail. The Georgia inmate search guide concentrates on GDC custody information and related services.
The Georgia birth certificates guide covers certificate orders and access to original birth records. The Georgia death records guide distinguishes public copies from certified records. The Georgia people search guide brings together person-related records held by different offices.
The Georgia business search guide explains entity research and certificates. The Georgia public records law guide examines Open Records Act requests and disputes. The Georgia registry guide explains the specialized registration system. The Georgia unclaimed property guide follows searches and claims through the Department of Revenue.
What the FBI counted in Georgia in 2024
The FBI Crime Data Explorer counts offenses reported by local agencies, not convictions and not calls. For 2024 it recorded 29,177 violent offenses and 147,873 property offenses across 149 counties in Georgia, from 295 agencies that reported a full twelve months. Against the same count for 2023 that is down 9 percent in violent offenses and down 8 percent in property offenses, though the number of agencies reporting changes from year to year, which moves the totals on its own.
The count follows population, so the largest counties carry most of it. These reported the most violent offenses in 2024:
- DeKalb County, 4,877 violent and 25,366 property offenses from 9 reporting agencies.
- Gwinnett County, 2,311 violent and 13,636 property offenses from 8 reporting agencies.
- Cobb County, 1,792 violent and 9,708 property offenses from 7 reporting agencies.
- Bibb County, 1,754 violent and 6,463 property offenses from 1 reporting agencies.
- Clayton County, 1,723 violent and 7,080 property offenses from 4 reporting agencies.
- Fulton County, 1,600 violent and 9,079 property offenses from 11 reporting agencies.
A county total is the sum of what its agencies sent in, so a county whose agencies reported fewer months looks quieter than it is. Each county page on this site carries its own figures and names the offices that hold the underlying reports.
Georgia records by county
Begin a local search with the county containing the court, property or event. The Fulton County, Gwinnett County, Cobb County and DeKalb County pages provide separate metro Atlanta starting points. A business or mailing address described as Atlanta does not itself identify the court where a particular case was filed.
Use Clayton, Cherokee, Henry and Forsyth County pages for their local agencies. Georgia's division between superior court recording offices, Boards of Tax Assessors and Tax Commissioners applies even when those services are linked together from one county homepage.
For coastal Georgia, the Chatham County page connects local services, while Augusta-Richmond and Athens-Clarke provide their own area pages. Follow the actual named custodian when a consolidated government's website supplies several court, map and payment services under the same domain.
County research also extends beyond the largest jurisdictions. The Appling, Atkinson and Bacon County pages provide additional starting points. When a county source uses a vendor-hosted application, enter it through the responsible office's current link. Georgia's Department of Revenue county directory is another route for confirming which assessment or tax service belongs to the county you need.
Changes affecting Georgia records in 2025 and 2026
Andee's Law, Senate Bill 100, took effect July 1, 2025. DPH's current birth records instructions explain that people at least 18 who were born in Georgia may request an uncertified copy of their original birth certificate. The page also describes documentation for certain relatives of a deceased adoptee. This access route is distinct from ordering a certified certificate for ordinary identity purposes.
The Secretary of State's September 6, 2025 fee schedule includes service charges in the displayed totals for covered filings and certificates. For 2026 research, use the current $20 Certificate of Existence total and the applicable annual registration total. Older state announcements that show a $10 online certificate or $50 online LLC registration do not reflect the full current totals.
Georgia also changed real estate filing procedures effective January 1, 2025. The Cobb Superior Court Clerk's HB 1292 notice explains that self-filers must electronically file real estate documents and that individuals filing electronically must complete identity verification through the Clerks' Authority. Specified professional and public-official categories can still file on paper. These are filing requirements, not a requirement that every person merely searching an existing deed complete the same process.
Cobb's current eCertification instructions also distinguish court records from real estate records: the service presently applies to court records, with real estate certification not yet included. Check the record category before choosing electronic certification. A shared Georgia clerks' platform does not mean every participating office offers every document type through it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Georgia have one free search for every court case?
The Georgia Judicial Gateway connects services, but local clerks and court classes retain different access systems. Chatham links re:Search and probate services, Cobb separates court and real estate searches, and Macon-Bibb distinguishes document access from filing portals. Start with the county and court that handled the proceeding.
Can I obtain another person's entire Georgia criminal history without consent?
The GBI generally requires signed consent for another person's Georgia history through the local law enforcement route. Public Georgia Felon Search is narrower: it searches felony convictions reported to GCIC and costs $15 per search, including a no-record result. It is not a complete public arrest-history product.
Is every Georgia death certificate restricted to family?
Certified copies require the qualifying direct and tangible interest described by DPH. Its online ordering instructions also allow members of the public to obtain a plain paper death record with the Social Security number redacted. The public copy and a certified certificate have different uses.
What does a Georgia Certificate of Existence cost in 2026?
The current Secretary of State schedule lists $20 for online or paper requests, consisting of the $10 fee and $10 service charge. The schedule became effective September 6, 2025. Use that total rather than an older state notice quoting only the former online price.
Does the Georgia three business day rule guarantee immediate delivery of a large file?
The Open Records Act requires timely production or, where responsive records cannot be made available within that period, a description and production timeline. Cost estimates and applicable exemptions also have notice requirements. Keep the written request and the agency's response to evaluate the actual handling of the request.
Which Georgia office has a deed, and which has the tax bill?
Recorded deeds are held through the superior court clerk's recording function and can be indexed through the Clerks' Authority. The Board of Tax Assessors handles valuation, while the Tax Commissioner handles ad valorem collection. Use the property's county to select the correct offices and corresponding records.
Where to go next in Georgia
Each subject above has its own Georgia page on SearchSystems, with the offices that hold the records and what each one charges: court records, criminal records, arrest records, inmate and jail searches, wants and warrants, the sex offender registry, property and land records, recorded documents, vital records, birth certificates, death records, business entity searches, professional licenses, voter records, unclaimed property, people searches, background checks and the public records law.
Records in Georgia are held county by county. The largest are Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb, Chatham, Clayton, Cherokee, Forsyth, Henry, Hall, Richmond and Richmond, and all 161 Georgia counties are listed on the Georgia index.
Driver and vehicle records sit outside the offices above, and the DMV sections built so far are on the DMV guides page.
The Georgia DMV pages most people need: how a Georgia license is issued, the Georgia REAL ID, the Georgia license renewal, registering a vehicle in Georgia, how a Georgia car title is transferred, your Georgia driving record, DUI license suspension in Georgia, the Georgia DMV fee list and where the Georgia DMV offices are.