Georgia Property Records: How to Find Out Who Owns a Property (2026)

Georgia runs a genuine statewide deed index through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, layered on top of the 159 county Clerks of Superior Court who remain the official custodians of the deeds, mortgages, and liens recorded in each county.

Information last verified on 2026-07-16. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

How Property Records Work in Georgia

Georgia's 159 counties, more counties than any state except Texas, each have an elected Clerk of Superior Court whose Real Estate or Recording Division records deeds, security deeds (Georgia's version of a mortgage), liens, and plats for property in that county. This county-level structure is standard across most of the country. What sets Georgia apart is that the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA), an entity created and operated by the Clerks themselves, layers a genuine statewide consolidated Real Estate Index on top of all 159 county offices, covering deed transactions recorded since January 1, 1999 (Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, "Real Estate Index"). A researcher can search grantor and grantee names across the entire state in one query rather than checking 159 separate county systems one at a time, something most states cannot offer.

Searching the index itself at search.gsccca.org is free. Viewing an actual document image requires creating a free GSCCCA account, an email signup with no payment, and costs nothing to view on screen; printing a page costs $0.50. A paid subscription, $14.95 per month for the "Regular" tier, unlocks additional search types not available on the free tier, including address-based search (GSCCCA, "Premium Search"). For records recorded before 1999, or to view the underlying original document at its source, the county Clerk of Superior Court that recorded it remains the office of record.

Georgia's Statewide Deed Index: How GSCCCA Works

Georgia is one of only a handful of states where a search across the entire state's recorded real estate documents is possible from a single public interface, and it is worth understanding how that fits together with the 159 county offices rather than treating it as a replacement for them.

GSCCCA does not replace the county Clerks of Superior Court. Each Clerk's office remains the legal office of record and the place where an original deed is physically recorded and archived. GSCCCA instead aggregates the indexing data every county electronically reports, so a search of the statewide Real Estate Index effectively points a researcher to the correct county, book, and page for a document, and in most cases lets the researcher view or print the document image directly through GSCCCA rather than contacting the county separately.

For a certified copy of the actual recorded instrument, Georgia sets one statewide statutory fee rather than leaving it to each county to set its own: $2.50 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page, confirmed against the Fulton County Clerk of Superior Court's own fee schedule (Fulton County Clerk of Superior Court, "Deeds and Records"). Uncertified copies are cheaper still, and the price turns on whether staff have to help: $0.50 per page when no assistance is required from the clerk's office, and $1.00 per page when assistance is required (O.C.G.A. 15-6-77(g)(2)). Certified copies can be ordered electronically at any time through GSCCCA's e-certification system or requested in person at the county Clerk's office.

This combination, a real-time statewide search index paired with a uniform statutory certified-copy fee, is not something most other states offer. In states without a consolidated index, the only way to search comprehensively is county by county, and certified-copy fees are typically set locally and vary from one county to the next. Compare this to the county-only model most other states use, described across Property Records by State; Georgia's structure is a genuine exception.

How to Find Out Who Owns a Property in Georgia

For a fast, free answer to who owns a specific property, start with the county Board of Assessors rather than GSCCCA. Most of Georgia's 159 counties run their assessor parcel search through qPublic.net, searchable by owner name, address, or parcel number, and Gwinnett County additionally runs its own Property/GIS Search alongside a broader GIS Data Browser (Gwinnett County Board of Assessors, Property/GIS Search).

To go further and see the actual recorded deed, mortgage, or prior conveyances for that parcel, search GSCCCA's Real Estate Index by the current or prior owner's name, or by county and book and page if you already have that reference. Because a recent sale can post to GSCCCA before an assessor's records update, or the reverse, cross-check both sources for any transaction that happened in the last few months. If the document you need predates January 1, 1999, GSCCCA's index will not have it, and you will need to contact the county Clerk of Superior Court directly.

Deed Scam Mailers and Georgia's Fraud Alert Tools

Georgia property owners are targeted by the same nationwide deed-solicitation scam documented in other states: a company mails an official-looking notice offering a "certified copy of your deed" or a property profile for a fee that consumer-protection warnings have placed in the $82 to $95 range, styled to resemble a government bill with an artificial response deadline (Minnesota Attorney General, "Real Estate Deed Solicitation"). A genuine certified copy of a Georgia deed costs $2.50 for the first page plus $0.50 per additional page directly from the county Clerk of Superior Court, and most owners already received their original deed for free at closing.

GSCCCA runs a free statewide Filing Activity Notification System (FANS) that emails a registrant when a new real estate or personal property filing matching chosen criteria, such as a name or address, is indexed by a participating county Clerk (GSCCCA, "Filing Activity Notification System"). Because it runs off the same statewide index that covers all 159 counties, one FANS registration can cover filings anywhere in Georgia, unlike a purely county-run alert system. Some counties also run their own local notification tools; DeKalb County's Recording Activity Notification Registration and Fayette County's Property and Mortgage Fraud Check are two examples (DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court, "Recording Activity Notification").

A Property Records Search Is Not a Title Search

A free GSCCCA search or assessor lookup is useful for identifying a current owner, checking basic ownership history, or monitoring a name for new filings, but it is not a substitute for a professional title search. A licensed title company or closing attorney searches recorded deeds, security deeds, liens, judgments, and relevant court records together and evaluates them for risk before a purchase closes, a materially more thorough process than a self-directed lookup, and GSCCCA's own coverage only extends back to 1999. Anyone planning an actual purchase, sale, or refinance in Georgia should engage a licensed title company or real estate attorney rather than relying on a DIY search alone.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about how property records and deed lookups work in Georgia as of the verification date above. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. It is not a substitute for a licensed title company's title search or title insurance before a real estate purchase. Fees, tools, and program availability change and vary by county; verify current details directly with GSCCCA or the relevant county Clerk of Superior Court before relying on any figure here.

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Last updated: 2026-07-16. Figures and program details reflect their in-force version as of 2026-07-16.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Georgia really have a statewide deed search?

Yes. GSCCCA's Real Estate Index at search.gsccca.org covers deed transactions recorded in all 159 counties since January 1, 1999, one of the few genuine statewide consolidated indexes in the country.

Is GSCCCA free to use?

Searching the index is free. Viewing document images requires a free account; printing costs $0.50 per page. Additional search types, including address search, require a paid subscription starting at $14.95 per month.

How do I find out who owns a property in Georgia for free?

Search the county Board of Assessors, most of which are available through qPublic.net, by owner name, address, or parcel number. It is generally faster than searching GSCCCA for basic ownership information.

What does a certified copy of a Georgia deed cost?

$2.50 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page, a statewide statutory rate that applies regardless of which county Clerk of Superior Court holds the document.

Can I search GSCCCA for deeds recorded before 1999?

No. The statewide Real Estate Index begins January 1, 1999. Older recorded documents have to be located directly through the county Clerk of Superior Court that recorded them.

What is Georgia's FANS program?

The Filing Activity Notification System is a free, opt-in statewide alert service run by GSCCCA that emails a registrant when a filing matching their chosen name or address is recorded in a participating county.

Is a mailer offering to sell me a copy of my Georgia deed for $85 legitimate?

No. This is a documented solicitation scam. A genuine certified copy costs $2.50 for the first page plus $0.50 per additional page directly from the county Clerk, far less than mailer solicitations charge.