In Georgia, death records provide a range of benefits for individuals who need them. Initially, after a person dies, the local public health facility will issue a death certificate. This process takes between two and six weeks in Georgia. The record of the death occurs not only at the local level but also at the state level. Accessing this information can be helpful to many people and for many reasons. Use it to answer your questions or to get the details you need for other sources. Take a few minutes to consider the process of obtaining these records.

Initially, the process of obtaining Georgia death records can seem complex. However, knowing where to gather this information can be what makes it easier to manage. The state began recording this information in 1919. Both birth and death records were gathered at that time. However, it took some years before most counties and local facilities were reporting this information at the state level. Compliance in the state to this law did not occur until 1928.  Therefore, your search for this information should happen based on the time of the person's likely death.

For records needed prior to 1919 or for records that you cannot find between 1919 and 1928, the best source of information is the county registrar. This information may be available at town clerk's offices as well. County records, as well as records from the local churches or other religious organizations can also provide this type of information in many cases. These records, at the county level, are often the most complete and useful in long term searches. For those records prior to 1919, there is no 100 percent assurance that the details will be available, though. Even at the local level, these records were not kept long term.

For those who are looking for Georgia death records from 1928 on, the best source for basic information is the Vital Records Department at the state level. This is also a helpful source for information if you do not know which county the individual died in to do a more thorough, county search. This resource also has information on births and marriages (marriages dating from 1952 onward.) To obtain this information, contact the location at the following address by visiting locally or contacting them by mail:

Georgia Division of Public Health

Vital Records Department

Room 217-H 47

Trinity Avenue, Southwest

Atlanta, Georgia, 30334

You may also be able to make requests to this office by calling 404-656-4750. It is important to gather this information as soon as possible. In many cases, long searches can take any place from four to six weeks to obtain from the Department of Vital Records at the state level. To get faster results or to get more information you should consider locating this information at the county level instead. This information may include more details that can be helpful for research as well as for genealogy, property searches or other needs. You may need to pay a fee for the access to these records.

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