Georgia

Open Public Record Act:

The Georgia Open Records Act enables the public to have access to all government records with the exemption of certain records such as military discharge records, juvenile records, family violence reports, hospital peer review records, birth certificates, and medical records. The Georgia Open Meetings Act, on the other hand, allows the public to attend all governmental meetings that are related to the conduct of public business.

Georgia Open Records Act

Birth Records:

Official recordings of births that occurred from January 1919 to the present in the state of Georgia are filed with the Georgia Department of Public Health. You can avail of copies of birth certificates from the State Office of Vital Records if you have a direct and tangible interest, a primary immediate family member, or legal representative of the family.

To obtain a copy of a birth certificate, you will need to submit completed and signed request form and a copy of a picture ID as well as the proper fee. You can do this in person or by mail. You can also place an order online through one of the three third party vendors that the State Office has partnered with: VitalChek, ROVER, and GoCertificates.

The fee for a copy of a birth certificate is $25 with additional copies costing $5 each. You can pay the fee using a certified check, money order, or debit/credit cards (for walk-in and online orders only).

Georgia Birth Records

Marriage Records:

Marriage records dating from June 1952 to August 1996 are available at the State Office. Records earlier than 1952 and later than August 1996 can only be obtained from the County Probate Court where the marriage license was issued.

If you wish to obtain a marriage certificate from the State Office, you will need to be one of the spouses listed on the license. You will also need to submit a completed and signed request form, a photocopy of your valid photo ID, and the proper fee. You can submit your request in person or by mail. The cost of a certified copy is $10 with additional copies costing $5 each. The acceptable payment methods are certified check, money order, debit card, cash, and credit card. Only the first two payment methods will be accepted for mailed requests.

Georgia Marriage Records

Divorce Records:

The State Office of Vital Statistics does not provide copies of divorce decrees. Instead, it will only provide divorce verifications which will show the names of the parties involved, the date, and the location where the divorce was granted. The divorce verifications available in the State Office are only the ones that have occurred from June 1952 to August 1996. Records earlier than 1952 and later than August 1996 can only be obtained from the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted.

Anyone can request for a divorce verification. To request for a copy, you will need to submit a completed and signed request form, a photocopy of your valid photo ID, and the proper fee. You can submit your request in person or by mail. The cost of a certified copy is $10 with additional copies costing $5 each. The acceptable payment methods are certified check, money order, debit card, cash, and credit card. Only the first two payment methods will be accepted for mailed requests.

Georgia Divorce Records

Death Records:

Official recordings of deaths that occurred from January 1919 to the present in the state of Georgia are filed with the Georgia Department of Public Health. You can avail of copies of death certificates from the State Office of Vital Records if you have a direct and tangible interest, are a primary immediate family member, or a legal representative of the family.

To obtain a copy of a death certificate, you will need to submit completed and signed request form and a copy of a picture ID as well as the proper fee. You can do this in person or by mail. You can also place an order online through one of the three third party vendors that the State Office has partnered with: VitalChek, ROVER, and GoCertificates.

Certificates of Birth Resulting in a Stillbirth (CBRS) are also issued by the State Office of Vital Records. For this request, you will need to provide a copy of your valid photo ID; the mother’s first name, last name, and DOB; the baby’s name (if given); facility where the event occurred; the number of copies requested; and the $10 fee per CBRS requested.

The fee for a copy of a death certificate is $25 with additional copies costing $5 each. You can pay the fee using a certified check, money order, or debit/credit cards (for walk-in and online orders only).

Georgia Death Records

Missing People:

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains a Missing Persons database that contains information on individuals who have been reported missing to the law enforcement agencies within the state. Each file contains the missing person’s photo, name, physical description, date last seen, location, circumstance of his/her disappearance, and contact info for the law enforcement agency handling the case.

Georgia Missing Persons

Elected Officials:

The Georgia Government website lists all the elected officials in the state starting with the Governor who is currently Nathan Deal. Each elected official listed has a short biography along with a photograph and a link to the official’s website/webpage.

Georgia Elected Officials

Court Records