Georgia Death Records: How to Perform a Georgia Death Records Search

In Georgia, there are a number of ways to find the death record of persons whose deaths were recorded in the state. 

You can reach out to the state's Vital Records office (the primary record custodian) or the state Archives and other third-party platforms.

However, the accuracy and availability of certain information contained in these death records may vary. 

In addition, you may have to work around certain eligibility criteria and make different payments. 

Whichever option you choose in finding Georgia death records, you should be able to access the sought-after record. 

This article intends to show you how to achieve this objective. 

Death Records in Georgia

In Georgia, a death record is a publicly available document created and registered a few days after the death is recorded. 

The death record usually contains the decedent's identifying information. It also features information that provides the details of the death and other related information. 

Then there's the record registration number that serves as an indexing provision, making the record both valid, certified, and archivable.

The state's vital records office is primarily responsible for keeping and handing out the records to interested requesters. 

In turn, the interested requesters must meet certain eligibility conditions before they are allowed to obtain the death record. 

Eligible persons include the deceased's family(spouse, parents, children, siblings). 

Others include authorized persons such as legal representatives, government agencies, and people who can obtain a court order or notary-signed statement. 

What Can I Find In An Georgia Death Records

Georgia death records register the decedent's biodata details and certain other information about the events leading up to the death. 

Some of this information is outlined below:

* The decedent's name, gender, race, color, etc. 
* Date and place of birth
* Date and place of death
* Cause of death
* Name of the funeral director, coroner, or medical personnel that certified the record

How Are Georgia Death Records Created?

Georgia Code §31-10-15 stipulates that that provision is made for the certification of death in the state within 72 hours from the time the death was recorded. 

To make this happen, the decedent's family must authorize a funeral director to register the death with the vital record office. 

But before this can be done, the decedent's identity and the cause of their death must be duly established and recorded.

The former includes details such as name, age, address, and occupation, all provided by their family member. 

The latter is presented as medical certification of the cause of death and is provided by authorized medical personnel with knowledge of the decedent's medical history. 

Once these details are established and recorded, the death certificate can be registered at the local registrar and filed at the Vital Records office. 

Where Can I Find Death Records in Georgia?

The Vital Records Office

The vital records office at the state or county level is the go-to for four people who look to find death records in Georgia. 

And while death records older than January 1919 may not always be available there, you can find them in certain counties. 

You can deliver your request in person, via mail, or any other online platform. And when you do, you'd be required to pay a service charge. 

To request via mail, you'll need to have downloaded and completed the  Request for Search of Death (Form 3912). 

Next, attach a copy of a valid photo ID for identification and the appropriate processing fees. 

Enclose all of the aforementioned in an envelope and mail them to:

The State Office of Vital Records,
1680 Phoenix Boulevard,
Suite 100,
Atlanta, GA 30349

If you make a walk-In request at the Vital Records office, you'd need to present a written request replete with the decedent's personal information. 

In addition, you'll be asked to establish your connection with the decedent and confirm your eligibility to view the records. 

There's need to also attach the processing fees on your request application before depositing it with the Vital Records office, with its address shown below:

1680 Phoenix Boulevard,
Suite 100,
Atlanta, GA 30349,
Phone: (404) 679-4702

Georgia Death Records Online

Death records are also available online in Georgia via a program known as ROVER. ROVER is a government-run platform that transfers your requests to the DPH's Office of vital records. 

You'd have to pay the requisite processing fee and attach a copy of your government identification document for your application to be considered.

Another online-based means of finding Georgia death records (for records created post-1914) is via the Georgia Archives. 

Then there's the Georgia Virtual Vault, a database of indexed death records filed from 1825 to 1930 and death certificates from 1914 to early 1919. 

Third-Party Websites

Third-party websites are,e exactly as their name implies, platforms that are managed independently. 

They go to great lengths to obtain vital records and grant access to them. Third-party websites allow you to run a death record search using a few search parameters.

You'd need to enter the decedent's name and last known residence in the provided fields. 

When you click "Search," you should see several results matching your search terms. 

You can go on to find the one of interest to you and then use It for whatever purpose you deem fit.