According to Georgia law, all court records are to be made available to the public. It is your right to view and request a copy of most Georgia court records. However, this right is not absolute and access may be limited on certain records under some circumstances.

As a rule, if you need to obtain Georgia court records, it is best to go to the courthouse where the case took place with a written request for the records that you need. In fact, a request form is usually provided by the court for just that purpose. However, some Georgia court records are available online.

 About Georgia Courts

The court system in the state of Georgia is diverse and extensive, dealing with several cases that arise from a population of over nine million residents. From the Court of Appeals all the way up to the Georgia Supreme Court as well as through the many other municipal court venues, tens of thousands of court cases are processed every year in Georgia courtrooms.

Superior courts in Georgia have jurisdiction over all case types. However, the superior courts typically only handle the cases that go beyond other court's jurisdiction. Georgia courts that have limited jurisdiction include magistrate courts, state courts, juvenile courts, municipal courts, recorder's courts, civil courts and probate courts.

 Contents of Georgia Court Records

Generally, you should be able to obtain access to docket information, orders and decisions made by the court, motions and pleadings of parties involved in a lawsuit, trial transcripts, evidence introduced in a case by either side, recordings of hearings held before and after the trial as well as official recordings of remarks made by the judge in open court.

 Access Granted

Georgia court records related to juvenile proceedings are kept more discreetly by the court, meaning that many are not open to the public. However, some juvenile court cases are available, such as felony cases and child support hearings.

For access to be denied to Georgia court records, the court must determine that the need for confidentiality outweighs public interest in access to the case. However, it is not possible for the court simply to say the danger is greater than public interest. Specific findings must be made of facts that support a need to keep the records closed. When the court claims that records are not available due to privacy interest, that privacy interest has to be distinguished, or else everyone involved in a lawsuit would request that their case record be closed.

An order must be issued by the court to limit access to Georgia court records. If your request for access to Georgia court records is denied, you can ask the clerk to show you the order to seal the specific documents. If an order does exist, you may want to think about moving to intervene in the case, challenging the decision made by the court. If you want to challenge an order to seal Georgia court records, the best way to proceed is with the aid of a legal professional. According to Rule 21.4 of the Uniform Superior Court Rules, you can appeal the court's denial of access to court records through the Georgia Supreme Court.

• Georgia State Court Districts

• Georgia State Legislature