Georgia Marriage and Divorce Records: Where to Get a Copy (2026)

Georgia splits marriage records across two custodians and keeps divorce records out of state hands entirely. The state Office of Vital Records holds marriage records only for June 1952 through August 1996, and a certified copy from that window goes to the two spouses alone.

Information last verified on 2026-08-04. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Georgia Divorce Records Are Court Records Only

In most states a divorce generates two documents: a court judgment and a vital record certificate. Georgia effectively has only the first.

The Georgia Department of Public Health can confirm that a divorce occurred, but as the state's own guidance says, copies of the records are held by the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted, and any requests for divorce records must go through the superior court (Georgia.gov, "Request Vital Records"). There is no state-issued certified divorce certificate to order as an alternative. If a court, an employer, a lender, or an immigration officer wants proof of a Georgia divorce, the Superior Court clerk is the source.

That makes the county the first thing to establish. A Georgia divorce is granted in the Superior Court of a specific county, and the clerk of that court holds the file. If the county is not known, the state's ability to confirm that a divorce occurred can help narrow it before you start calling clerks.

Fees, copy charges, and what a clerk will send by mail are set at the county level and vary, so ask the specific clerk rather than budgeting from a statewide figure. Georgia divorce case files are court records, and access questions, including whether a particular document in a file is restricted, are answered by the court that holds it.

Georgia Marriage Records: A Narrow State Window

Marriage applications and certificates are available at the State Office of Vital Records from June 1952 to August 1996 (Georgia Department of Public Health, "Ways to Request a Vital Record: Marriage"). Records outside that range are at county Probate Offices, and the state directs requesters there for anything before 1952 or after 1996.

Two things about that window catch people out.

First, it is closed at both ends. A 2015 Georgia marriage is not a state record. A 1948 Georgia marriage is not a state record. Both are county Probate Court records.

Second, even inside the window the record is restricted. The Department of Public Health states that a certified copy of the marriage application is only available to Bride/Party 1 and Groom/Party 2. A child, a sibling, a researcher, or a genealogist cannot obtain a certified copy of a 1960s Georgia marriage application from the state.

There is a separate, narrower state product for recent marriages: the State Office of Vital Records can search for and verify marriages that occurred on or after January 1, 2014. A verification confirms that the marriage happened. It is not a certified copy and does not substitute for one where an agency has asked for a certified document.

State marriage requests are mailed in on the applicable form. The fee is a $10.00 non-refundable search fee, plus $5.00 for each copy requested, current as of August 2026.

The County Probate Court Route

For most Georgia marriages, the Probate Court in the county that issued the license is the custodian, and it is the office to contact for a certified copy. Georgia probate courts issue marriage licenses on a written application verified by oath of the applicants, and each county's court sets its own copy procedures and charges (Georgia Council of Probate Court Judges, "Marriage Licenses"). Practices differ enough county to county that the state itself refers people to the individual court.

If the county is unknown, remember that the license is issued where the couple applied, which is not always where the ceremony took place or where either party lived. The Georgia Archives offers one useful rule of thumb for older searches: generally, marriages are recorded in the county of residence of the bride. Start there before working outward to neighboring counties or the county where the wedding was held.

Older Georgia Marriage Records and Genealogy

Georgia law has required marriages to be recorded since 1805, when the recording duty sat with the Court of Ordinary, the office now called the Probate Court (Georgia Archives, "Vital Records"). The Georgia Archives holds microfilmed marriage records for most counties, with gaps where county records were destroyed, but the Archives states that post-1900 marriage records are not held there and are available from the Probate Judge of the county where the marriage is recorded.

So a genealogical search runs roughly this way: nineteenth century and turn-of-the-century marriages through the Archives microfilm, twentieth century marriages through the county Probate Court, with the 1952 to 1996 state window available only to the spouses themselves.

Related Georgia Records and Laws

• Marriage and divorce records by state for how Georgia's restricted state window compares to states that hold both record types centrally
• How to get a copy of your marriage certificate for the step-by-step ordering process
• How to find out if someone is married or divorced for what a search can realistically establish
• Georgia death records, which the state holds far more completely than marriage records
• Georgia divorce laws for the grounds, residency, and process rules behind the case file
• Georgia public records laws for how records requests work with Georgia agencies generally

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about how Georgia marriage and divorce records are held and released as of the verification date above. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. County Probate Court and Superior Court clerk practices, fees, and available formats vary, and state fees change. Confirm current requirements with the Georgia Department of Public Health or the relevant county clerk before relying on any figure here.

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Last updated: 2026-08-04. Year ranges, eligibility language, and fees reflect the state agency pages as published on that date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I get a copy of a Georgia divorce decree?

From the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted. The Georgia Department of Public Health can confirm that a divorce occurred but does not issue copies, and it directs all divorce record requests to the superior court.

Why can't I get a Georgia marriage certificate from the state?

The State Office of Vital Records holds marriage applications and certificates only for June 1952 through August 1996. For any other year, the county Probate Court that issued the license is the custodian.

Who can order a certified Georgia marriage record from the state?

Only Bride/Party 1 and Groom/Party 2. The Department of Public Health states that a certified copy of the marriage application is available to those two people, which rules out relatives and researchers.

What does the state's marriage verification cover?

The State Office of Vital Records can search for and verify marriages that occurred on or after January 1, 2014. A verification confirms the marriage took place; it is not a certified copy and may not satisfy an agency that asked for one.

What does a Georgia marriage record cost at the state level?

A $10.00 non-refundable search fee plus $5.00 for each copy requested, as of August 2026. County Probate Court fees are set locally and differ.

Are Georgia divorce case files public?

Divorce files are court records held by the Superior Court clerk, and access questions are answered by that court. Individual documents within a case can be restricted, and practices differ by county, so ask the clerk what is available before assuming a document can be released.

Where are Georgia marriage records from the 1800s?

The Georgia Archives holds microfilmed county marriage records for most counties, with gaps where records were destroyed. Marriages have been recorded with the county since 1805, first by the Court of Ordinary and now by the Probate Court. If you do not know the county, the Archives notes that marriages are generally recorded in the county of residence of the bride.