How to Get a Death Certificate in Georgia

Georgia limits certified death certificates to these people or their legal representatives:

• The decedent's legal living spouse, child or parent
• Other next of kin. DPH's online ordering page lists adult siblings, grandparents and grandchildren.
• A person who has been appointed, or has applied in good faith to become, the executor or administrator of the estate
• A person who shows a certified copy is needed to establish a legal right or claim, such as a beneficiary or an insurance company
• Grantee beneficiaries of a transfer-on-death deed. A 2026 Georgia law (HB 413, effective April 22, 2026) added them to the list. DPH's own pages have not been updated to say so yet, so contact the office to confirm what proof it will accept.

Anyone else can get a plain paper copy, but the decedent's Social Security number is blacked out.

Executors and administrators are named in Georgia's vital records rule, but DPH's online ordering page does not list them. Ordering in person or by mail with your certified Letters may be simpler.

Georgia has two kinds of offices that issue death certificates: the State Office of Vital Records in Atlanta and county vital records offices. Both can issue a certificate for any Georgia death from January 1919 to the present.

State Office of Vital Records (Atlanta)

• In person: 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Same-day service. Georgia.gov lists hours of 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday to Friday, except state holidays. DPH's website shows different agency-wide hours, so call 404-679-4702 to confirm before you go.
• By mail: Complete Form 3912, Request for Search of Death, and mail it to the State Office address above with a copy of your photo ID and a U.S. money order or certified check payable to the State Office of Vital Records. DPH says mail requests take 8 to 10 weeks. Do not mail cash, and the State Office does not accept personal checks. DPH's order-by-mail page also points death certificate requests to county offices, so the two DPH pages disagree on where to mail; call 404-679-4702 if you are unsure.
• Online: Order through ROVER, the State of Georgia's own ordering site. It costs $25 per certified copy plus an $8 processing fee. Optional FedEx shipping is $16 per order and speeds delivery only, not processing. DPH and ROVER say processing takes up to 10 weeks, while Georgia.gov says 2 to 4 weeks (or up to 5 business days for expedited orders). Plan for up to 10 weeks.

County vital records offices

Every one of Georgia's 159 counties has a vital records office, run by the county probate court or the county health department depending on the county. Unlike some states, a Georgia county office is not limited to deaths in its own county: DPH says all 159 county offices can issue death certificates for Georgia.

• Georgia.gov says you can get same-day service at any county office in person. In practice, not every county office advertises walk-in service, and at least one county's page lists only mail and online ordering. Call the county office before you go.
• County offices charge the same $25 / $5 base fee in the county we checked, but each office sets its own hours, payment rules and card fees (one county adds a 2.5% card processing fee).
• Find your county office in the DPH vital records office directory.
• For a death before 1919, the State Office does not hold the record. Contact the county where the death happened, since some counties have older records.

Phone: No official Georgia page describes ordering by phone. Contact the office to confirm.

• A valid, physical, government-issued photo ID. This is required for every request, including online orders. DPH does not accept electronic or digital IDs. For mail requests, include a copy of your ID. Form 3912 accepts a Georgia driver's license that is unexpired or expired for no more than one year, among other IDs. Georgia.gov and Form 3912 give slightly different ID lists, so a driver's license, state ID or passport is the safest choice.
• Proof of your relationship, depending on who you are:
• Spouse: a certified copy of your marriage certificate
• Adult child or adult sibling: a copy of your own birth certificate showing one of the same parents as the decedent
• Attorney: must represent an immediate family member and send a notarized letter on letterhead, signed by the attorney
• Executor or administrator: proof of your role, for example certified Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
• Beneficiary or other legal claim: documents showing your interest
• Payment. $25 for the first copy and $5 for each extra copy ordered at the same time. The State Office does not accept personal checks. Mail payments must be a U.S. money order or certified check.

The office may also ask for more information, such as a sworn statement.

Georgia issues two kinds of copies:

• Certified copy: printed on colored paper with the raised seal of the State Registrar. Only eligible requesters (family, executors and administrators, people with a legal claim, and their legal representatives) can get one. This is the version used to settle an estate.
• Plain paper copy: available to anyone, but the decedent's Social Security number is blacked out.

On request, the cause of death can be left off either kind of copy. That can be useful when sending copies to places that do not need medical details.

The funeral home's role. The funeral director who first takes custody of the body files the death report electronically with the Office of Vital Records, unless the hospital or institution where the death happened already filed it. Georgia's rule requires the report within three calendar days after the death.

Cause of death. When a death happened without medical attendance or is investigated by a coroner or medical examiner, the cause of death must be certified within 30 days after notification. If the cause cannot be determined within 48 hours, the record shows "pending" and is updated later.

DPH does not publish a set number of days after death when certificates become available. Once the record is filed:

• In person at the State Office: same day
• In person at a county office: often same day, but call first
• By mail to the State Office: 8 to 10 weeks
• Online: up to 10 weeks per DPH

Georgia's official sites do not say whether funeral homes order copies for families. Ask the funeral home directly.

Banks, insurers, retirement plans and the probate court may each ask for a certified copy. Under DPH's fee schedule, extra copies cost $5 each when ordered at the same time as the first one, compared with $25 for a new order later. Official sources do not agree on whether that $5 rate applies to online orders, so confirm before ordering online. See our guide on how many copies to estimate your number.

Corrections go through the State Office of Vital Records and must be mailed in with supporting documents. County offices may help you start the application.

• Who can apply: the informant listed on the certificate, a family member, their legal representative, or the funeral director who signed the certificate.
• Cause of death: only the doctor who certified it, the attending physician, or the coroner or medical examiner can change it.
• What to include: a notarized statement from the informant authorizing the correction, plus documents that prove the correct information. Changing or removing the spouse's name requires a court order.
• Fees: corrections in the first year after death are free. After that, amendments cost $10 plus the cost of the certificate.

See DPH's Death Correction Requirements for the documents it accepts, and call 404-679-4702 with questions.

The official ways to order a Georgia death certificate are:

• ROVER, the State of Georgia's own online ordering site
• The DPH State Office of Vital Records, in person or by mail
• Your county vital records office

DPH's Order Certificate Online page also lists two outside vendors, VitalChek and GO Certificates. They charge their own service fees, which DPH does not publish. ROVER is the state's own site.

Other websites that came up in our research, such as simplytrust.com, are not official ordering channels and cannot issue a certified copy themselves. If a site is not on a georgia.gov address or linked from DPH, start from the DPH website instead.