Process for Obtaining Georgia Marriage Records

Georgia has become in the last three decades one of the nation’s top destinations for corporate giants and pioneers, golfers and tourists. A huge number of people have flocked to the state at different times for job opportunities and explosive growth periods, and these demographic shifts are no doubt reflected in the state's marriage records.

The Condition of Georgia’s Records

Since 1805, Georgia law required marriages to be recorded in what is now called the Probate Court, mostly in the bride’s county of residence. Georgia Archives have most of these early records on microfilm (unless destroyed by fire or other disaster), but little information of genealogical value.

Birth and death records began to be maintained in the state in 1919. Compliance was not universal until about 1928. Records kept before then varied from county to county in their quality of genealogical data.

Marriage records, available from 1788 onwards in most areas, are the most complete but also vary from county to county, as do the cost and procedure for getting them. All of these should be verified for accuracy.

Where to Get Your Georgia Marriage Records?

In the state of Georgia there are 159 counties and in each county the State Registrar appoints a Vital Records Custodian and a Vital Records Registrar. Based on which county you are searching in, you need to contact the Custodian or the Vital Records Registrar at the Probate Judge office or the County Health Department. The Vital Records Offices in each of the 159 counties have the authority to prepare the certified copies of the records.

Are These Marriage Records Considered Public Domain?

You should know that you have the legal right to access your marriage records in the State of Georgia and elsewhere in the US as well. In principle, all states in the U.S. are bound to update and maintain vital records that include birth, death and marriage, and give U.S. citizens access to these records when they apply for and request them.

For example, a $10 fee will allow you to access marriage records from 1952 to 1996 at the Georgia Division of Public Health, Vital Records, located in Room 217-H 47, Trinity Ave., SW Atlanta, Georgia 30334-5600. You may also call this office at 404-656-4750. For those records from earlier or later years, you will have to ask the county probate courts that issued the licenses for these records. Anyone can get certified copies of marriage licenses, but only the bride and groom shown on the marriage license can obtain copies of license applications!

How to Apply for Your Marriage Record in Georgia

To get your Georgia marriage record copy, you will need to furnish some information. Do ensure that the information you are providing is accurate because otherwise what you will receive may not be accurate. This is the information you will need to furnish to get a copy of the marriage license in Georgia:

•    The husband’s full name (the last name should be in capital letters)
•    The wife’s full maiden name (the last name should be in capital letters)
•    The date when the marriage took place
•    The place where the marriage happened
•    Your relationship to the parties named
•    You need to state why you need access to the record
•    Your own address and name
•    Your own state and driver’s license number (this is necessary in some counties)

Enter Your Application Online

You can now also make your application online to obtain your marriage record copy. Gone are the days when getting your copy was so much of a hassle. Now, the Internet is sure to make your life easier. So go ahead and fill out your application online and receive your copy quickly and easily from the corresponding Georgia county records office.