Georgia Public Records: A Complete Research Guide

Last Updated on March 21, 2026 by Editorial Staff

Georgia public records are government-created documents, filings, databases, and communications maintained by state and local agencies that are generally accessible to the public under the Georgia Open Records Act (ORA), codified at O.C.G.A. §§ 50-18-70 through 50-18-77. The law declares a strong public policy in favor of open government and establishes a presumption that all public records should be made available for public inspection without delay. Exemptions to the ORA are to be interpreted narrowly; the burden of establishing that a record is exempt rests on the agency withholding it.

Residents frequently perform a Georgia public records search — sometimes called a Georgia Open Records Act request, Georgia ORA request, or Georgia government records search — to locate court filings, criminal history information, property ownership records, business registrations, and vital records.

Public records in Georgia are distributed across state agencies and 159 county-level systems — the second-highest county count in the United States, after Texas’s 254. Georgia does not maintain a single centralized portal for all record types, though two statewide systems — the Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA) for real estate and lien records, and re:SearchGA for court case indexes in participating counties — provide meaningful statewide consolidation for specific categories. Understanding which agency and which county maintains each record type is the foundation of effective public records research in Georgia.

On This Page

• Quick Answer: Where to Search Georgia Public Records
• Legal Notice
• Why This Guide Is Reliable
• Why Georgia Public Records Law Is Distinctive
• The Legal Framework
• Georgia Court Records
• Georgia Criminal Records
• Georgia Property Records
• Georgia Business Records
• Georgia Vital Records
• Georgia Inmate and Corrections Records
• Professional License Records
• Charity and Nonprofit Records
• How to Submit a Georgia Open Records Act Request
• Free Government Databases for Georgia Public Records
• Common Mistakes When Researching Georgia Public Records
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Final Thoughts
• Related Guides
• Disclaimer

Quick Answer: Where to Search Georgia Public Records

The most important free and low-cost government databases for researching Georgia public records include:

• re:SearchGA (researchga.tylerhost.net) — court case index and documents for participating Georgia counties (currently ~18 counties including Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Rockdale)
• Georgia Judicial Gateway (georgiacourts.gov) — access to e-court services and links to county court portals statewide
• GSCCCA Real Estate Index (search.gsccca.org) — statewide deed, lien, plat, and UCC records from all 159 counties from January 1, 1999
• Georgia DOR — Property Records Online (dor.georgia.gov/property-records-online) — directory linking to all 159 county tax assessor portals
• GBI — Sex Offender Registry (gbi.georgia.gov/sex-offender-registry) — free statewide sex offender registry
• GDC Inmate Search (gdc.ga.gov) — Georgia Department of Corrections state prison inmate records
• Georgia Secretary of State — Business Search (sos.ga.gov/corporations-and-charities) — statewide business entity registrations
• GDPH Vital Records (dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords) — birth and death certificates via state office, county health departments, or VitalChek
• Georgia Professional Licensing Boards (sos.ga.gov/professional-licensing) — license verification for SOS-regulated professions
• Georgia AG Open Government Program (law.georgia.gov/key-issues/open-government) — ORA guidance and mediation for records disputes

These systems provide access to the majority of publicly searchable government records in Georgia.

⚠️ Legal Notice

Georgia public records law is governed primarily by the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. §§ 50-18-70 through 50-18-77) and the Georgia Open Meetings Act (O.C.G.A. §§ 50-14-1 et seq.). While records are presumed public, exemptions include pending law enforcement investigations, medical records, attorney-client privileged materials, certain personnel records, trade secrets, and security-sensitive information. The judicial branch is not subject to the ORA — court records are governed separately by Uniform Court Rule 21 of the Georgia Superior Courts. Criminal history records are maintained by the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) under the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and have separate public access rules. Vital records are governed by the Georgia Vital Records Act (O.C.G.A. §§ 31-10-1 et seq.).

This guide explains lawful public records research methods and does not constitute legal advice.

Why This Guide Is Reliable

inet-investigation.com publishes research-based guides built on primary government sources, investigative research methods, and public records law. All databases referenced in this guide link to official government websites whenever possible.

For jurisdiction-specific legal questions, consult a licensed Georgia attorney or the relevant government agency responsible for the record.

Why Georgia Public Records Law Is Distinctive

Georgia’s Open Records Act has several features that distinguish it meaningfully from other states in this guide series — both as among the most demanding in terms of speed and as one of the few states where exemption citations can be waived if an agency fails to cite them precisely.

Three business days is the shortest response deadline of any state in this guide series. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(b)(1)(A) requires agencies to produce records for inspection within a reasonable amount of time not to exceed three business days of receiving the request. This is shorter than Illinois (5 days), California (10 calendar days), Pennsylvania (5 days + 30-day extension), Florida (no deadline), and Texas (records must be released “promptly,” with 10 days to seek AG opinion). Where records cannot all be produced within three days, the agency must produce whatever is available immediately and notify the requester in writing of the date when the remaining records will be ready. No extensions are permitted simply because the open records officer is unavailable — Georgia law makes no accommodation for this, which is why agencies are advised to designate multiple officers.

Agencies must cite the exact exemption — by code section, subsection, and paragraph — or risk waiving it. If a Georgia agency denies all or part of a request, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(d) requires the denial to state the specific legal authority exempting the records, citing the exact code section, subsection, and paragraph. A denial that fails to cite the precise exemption risks being treated as a waiver of that exemption — potentially requiring production of the records. This is a significant pro-disclosure provision not found in most other state open records laws, which typically allow more general invocations of exemption categories.

Search and retrieval fees are only permitted for “unusual” administrative burden. An agency may charge for the search, retrieval, and redaction of records, but only where those tasks impose an unusual administrative cost or burden. Under the Georgia Supreme Court’s interpretation in Trammell v. Martin (1991), both search and copying must be done in the most economical manner available. Copy fees may not exceed $0.10 per page for standard documents. This is more restrictive than Illinois (which also has a free-first-50-pages rule) and substantially more restrictive than Pennsylvania or Texas (which allow fees for all search and retrieval regardless of burden).

The ORA explicitly does not apply to the judicial branch — but court records are otherwise accessible. Georgia courts are not subject to the Open Records Act. However, access to Georgia court records is governed by Uniform Court Rule 21 of the Georgia Superior Courts, which creates a comparable presumption of openness for court records: courts must permit public inspection and reproduction of judicial records unless the records are specifically sealed, confidential, or otherwise restricted by law or court order. The distinction matters when making records requests — a request to a court clerk citing the ORA is procedurally improper, but the underlying access right still exists through the judicial records framework.

Georgia death records are partially public for anyone. Unlike birth certificates, which are restricted to authorized recipients, any member of the public may request a certified copy of a Georgia death record — but will receive a plain-paper copy with the Social Security number redacted. Authorized recipients (surviving spouse, parent, child, sibling, legal representative, or others with a demonstrable right) receive a full certified copy with complete information. This two-tier access structure for death records — redacted public copy available to anyone, full certified copy only to authorized parties — is distinctive among guide states. Florida provides full death certificates publicly after 50 years; Illinois and Pennsylvania restrict all death records to authorized recipients regardless of age.

The Georgia ORA covers private entities performing public functions. The ORA’s definition of “public record” expressly includes documents prepared and maintained by a private person or entity in the performance of a service or function for or on behalf of a government agency, or when such documents have been transferred to a private entity by an agency for storage or future governmental use. This extends open records obligations to private contractors performing government work — a broader reach than many state laws.

The AG provides both mediation and enforcement authority. The Georgia Attorney General’s Open Government Mediation Program offers informal dispute resolution for ORA compliance issues involving municipal and county agencies. The AG also has express authority to bring civil or criminal enforcement actions against agencies for ORA violations. Willful violations are a misdemeanor carrying a fine up to $100. Civil penalties are available. Courts must award attorney fees and litigation costs to the prevailing party unless special circumstances exist and the losing party acted without substantial justification — making litigation an available and meaningful remedy for persistent non-compliance.

The Legal Framework

→ Related guide: What Are Public Records?
→ Related guide: How FOIA Requests Work

Georgia Court Records

Georgia’s trial court system is organized primarily around the Superior Court, which is the general jurisdiction trial court handling felony criminal cases, civil matters over $25,000, domestic relations, and equity matters. Below Superior Courts sit State Courts (misdemeanors and civil cases under $25,000 in counties that have them), Magistrate Courts (small claims, civil cases up to $15,000, preliminary criminal hearings), Probate Courts (wills, estates, guardianships, mental health), and Juvenile Courts. Georgia also has Municipal Courts and special purpose courts in some jurisdictions. The appellate courts are the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Georgia.

Court records in Georgia are not subject to the ORA. Access is governed by Uniform Court Rule 21, which presumes court records are open to public inspection. Requests to a clerk’s office for court records follow judicial access rules rather than ORA procedures.

re:SearchGA — Multi-County Case Index

URL: researchga.tylerhost.net
Cost: Free for case information; free document access for parties’ attorneys and pro-se e-filers; nominal fees for document purchase by others

re:SearchGA is a Tyler Technologies case management portal that provides public access to case indexes and documents for Georgia courts participating in the Odyssey eFileGA e-filing system. As of 2025, approximately 18 counties participate in the integrated or repository model, including Fulton (Atlanta), DeKalb, Gwinnett, Rockdale, and others. Search by party name or case number across all participating counties simultaneously. For non-participating counties — including many large metro counties — access goes directly to the county clerk.

Georgia Judicial Gateway

URL: georgiacourts.gov
Cost: Free

The Administrative Office of the Courts provides the Georgia Judicial Gateway as a portal to judicial services, including e-filing, court payment options, and links to county-level court resources. The Gateway directory links to individual court websites for all 159 counties.

County Superior and State Court Clerk Portals

For counties not covered by re:SearchGA, court records are accessed through individual county clerk websites. Most major metro county clerks maintain their own online case search systems:

• Fulton County Clerk (Atlanta) — fultoncountyclerk.org — civil, criminal, and real estate records
• Cobb County Clerk — cobbsuperiorcourtclerk.com
• Chatham County Clerk (Savannah) — cmsportal.chathamcounty.org
• Richmond County Clerk (Augusta) — augustaga.gov/clerk
• Hall County Clerk (Gainesville) — hallcountyclerk.com

For counties without a developed online portal, records must be obtained in person at the courthouse or by contacting the clerk directly.

Georgia Appellate Courts

URL: georgiacourts.gov/appellate
Cost: Free for opinions

Published opinions from the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Court of Appeals are available through the Georgia Courts website and Google Scholar (scholar.google.com/scholar?jurisdiction=ga). The Court of Appeals handles most appeals from trial courts; the Supreme Court handles certain categories of cases as a matter of right (murder, constitutional questions) and reviews others on certiorari.

Federal Court Records

Federal cases in Georgia — bankruptcy, civil rights, immigration, federal criminal matters — are available through PACER (pacer.gov), requiring free registration and charging $0.10 per page. Georgia has three federal judicial districts: the Northern (Atlanta, Rome, Newnan, Gainesville), Middle (Macon, Columbus, Athens, Albany), and Southern (Savannah, Augusta, Brunswick, Statesboro).

Georgia Criminal Records

Georgia criminal history records are maintained by the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC), a division of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). GCIC serves as the state repository for criminal history record information (CHRI) and is governed by O.C.G.A. §§ 35-3-30 et seq. Access to GCIC records depends on who is requesting and for what purpose.

Name-Based Criminal History Checks — Sheriff and Police Departments

Cost: Typically around $15 per name search; varies by agency

Members of the public who want a criminal history record on another person — or their own — can request a name-based GCIC search from most county sheriff’s offices or local police departments in Georgia. This requires providing a signed consent form, valid government-issued photo ID, and payment of the agency’s processing fee. Unlike some states that restrict public access to conviction-only records (Illinois) or prohibit third-party access entirely (California), Georgia permits public name-based criminal history searches with signed consent at local law enforcement agencies. The record returned will include identification data, arrest information, charges, and final dispositions.

GCIC Fingerprint-Based Searches (Applicant Processing)

URL: gaps.ga.gov (Georgia Applicant Processing Service)
Cost: Varies by agency and purpose

Employers and licensing agencies conducting background checks for employment or licensing must use the Georgia Applicant Processing Service (GAPS), an electronic Live Scan fingerprinting and criminal history system. Fingerprint-based searches return more accurate results than name-based searches. The GAPS system is for authorized non-criminal justice users — not general public requests.

Georgia Sex Offender Registry

URL: gbi.georgia.gov/sex-offender-registry
Cost: Free

The GBI maintains the public sex offender registry under O.C.G.A. § 42-1-12. Search by name, county, city, or proximity to an address. Results include photograph, address, physical description, offense details, and risk classification level. The registry is updated regularly and searchable without registration.

Arrest Records and Jail Rosters

Under the ORA, initial police arrest reports and initial incident reports are explicitly public and must be disclosed even when the broader investigative file is exempt under the pending investigation exemption. This is a significant access provision — the basic facts of an arrest (who was arrested, when, by whom, and on what charges) must be released regardless of the status of any ongoing investigation. Many county sheriff offices publish online jail rosters showing current inmates. The Georgia Sheriff’s Association directory at georgiasheriffs.org provides links to county sheriff websites.

Record Restriction (Expungement in Georgia)

Georgia uses the term “record restriction” rather than expungement. Certain eligible arrests may be restricted — hidden from public access but not deleted — through a process involving the arresting agency, the prosecutor, and GCIC. Restricted records remain visible to law enforcement. Eligibility criteria and procedures are governed by O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37.

What Is Not Public

• Restricted (expunged) records — removed from public access by order
• Juvenile delinquency records
• Pending investigation or prosecution files (beyond initial arrest/incident report)
• Records of charges dismissed before arrest under certain circumstances

Georgia Property Records

Georgia property records are maintained at the county level by two separate offices: the Superior Court Clerk (recorded instruments — deeds, security deeds, liens, plats) and the County Board of Tax Assessors (ownership, valuation, and exemption records for tax purposes). Georgia has a powerful statewide consolidation tool for recorded instruments — the GSCCCA — that is more developed than equivalent statewide portals in most guide states.

GSCCCA Real Estate Index — Statewide Deed and Lien Records

URL: search.gsccca.org
Cost: Free for basic name-based index searches; premium subscription ($14.95–$29.95/month) for address searches and document images; $0.50/page for document images on basic account

The Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority maintains a statewide consolidated real estate index covering all 159 counties from January 1, 1999 forward. Search by grantor or grantee name, book and page number, county and instrument type, or property address (premium). The index includes deeds, security deeds (Georgia’s equivalent of a mortgage), lien filings, satisfactions, plats, and UCC filings. This is the most useful statewide property research tool in Georgia — the equivalent of a county recorder search that works across all 159 counties simultaneously. Participating counties also have document images available for download.

As of January 1, 2025 (HB 1952), electronic filing is required for real estate documents with GSCCCA — all new deeds, plats, and liens must be filed electronically through the GSCCCA e-filing system.

County Tax Assessor Portals — Property Valuation and Ownership

URL: dor.georgia.gov/property-records-online (directory of all 159 counties)
Cost: Free

Each of Georgia’s 159 counties maintains a Board of Tax Assessors responsible for property valuation. Most counties use the QPublic platform (qpublic.net), which provides a consistent interface for searching property records by owner name, address, or parcel number. QPublic results include assessed value, fair market value, ownership history, property characteristics, exemptions (homestead, senior, disability), and tax payment status.

Georgia assesses property at 40% of fair market value (the “assessed value”), then applies the local millage rate to that assessed value to calculate taxes — a structure distinct from states like California (Prop 13 purchase-price caps) or New York (complex fractional assessment systems).

What Georgia Property Records Contain

• Current owner of record and grantor/grantee transfer history (via GSCCCA)
• Parcel identification number (PIN or map/parcel number)
• Legal description of property
• Fair market value and assessed value (40% of FMV)
• Property tax payment history and any delinquencies
• Security deed (mortgage) recording and cancellation history
• Tax liens, judgment liens, and mechanic’s liens
• Homestead exemption and other exemption status
• Plat maps (subdivision, lot dimensions, easements)

Georgia Business Records

Georgia Secretary of State — Corporations and Charities Division

URL: sos.ga.gov/corporations-and-charities (also ecorp.sos.ga.gov for searches)
Cost: Free for basic searches; fees for certified copies

The Georgia Secretary of State maintains the official registry of business entities formed in Georgia or registered to do business here — including corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and nonprofit corporations. Search by entity name, registered agent, or control number. Results include entity status, formation date, registered agent name and address, principal office, and annual registration history. Annual registration filings show officers and directors with their addresses.

Georgia UCC Filings

URL: search.gsccca.org (UCC Search tab)
Cost: Free for basic name searches

UCC financing statements filed at the state level are available through GSCCCA. Search by debtor name or secured party name. Fixture filings (UCC financing statements related to real property) may be filed at the county Superior Court Clerk level.

Georgia Open Data Portal

URL: open.georgia.gov
Cost: Free

Georgia’s state open data portal provides downloadable datasets from state agencies, including expenditure data, contract awards, and agency-specific information useful for research without requiring an ORA request for commonly requested bulk data.

Georgia Vital Records

Georgia vital records — birth certificates, death certificates, marriage records, and divorce records — are governed by the Georgia Vital Records Act (O.C.G.A. §§ 31-10-1 et seq.). Birth and death certificates are maintained by the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH), State Office of Vital Records in Atlanta, as well as by county health departments. Marriage records are available at the state level only for June 1952 through August 1996; other years require going to the county probate court. Divorce records are held by the Superior Court clerk in the county where the divorce was granted.

How to Request Georgia Birth and Death Certificates

In Person: GDPH State Office of Vital Records, 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349; Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:00 PM
Online: ROVER (state portal), VitalChek (vitalchek.com), or GO Certificates — expedited shipping available for $16 extra
Mail: GDPH Office of Vital Records, 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349
County Health Departments: Many county health departments also issue certified copies for births and deaths in that county
Fee: $25 per certified copy; $5 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time; $8 processing fee for online orders
Processing time: Up to 10 weeks for standard mail/online orders; same-day service available in person at the State Office or county health departments
Records begin: January 1919 for state-level records; for earlier records, contact the county where the birth or death occurred or the Georgia Archives

Birth Certificates

Georgia birth certificates are restricted records available only to authorized individuals: the registrant (if 18 or older), parents named on the certificate, legal guardians, legal representatives, immediate family members, and others with a demonstrable need. Proof of identity and qualifying relationship is required. Requests must be accompanied by a copy of a valid government-issued photo ID.

Death Certificates

Georgia death certificates have a distinctive two-tier access structure:

• Any member of the public may request a death record and will receive a plain-paper copy with the Social Security number redacted. This copy documents the fact of death, name, date, and place — sufficient for many research purposes.
• Authorized individuals (surviving spouse, parent, child, sibling, legal representative, or those with a documented interest) receive a full certified copy suitable for legal purposes including insurance claims, estate administration, and Social Security notification.

State-level death records are available from 1919 to present.

Marriage Records

The GDPH State Office of Vital Records holds marriage records only for events occurring between June 1952 and August 1996. For marriages before June 1952 or after August 1996, contact the probate court in the county where the marriage license was issued. County probate courts maintain marriage records going back to the county’s founding in most cases and are the comprehensive source for Georgia marriage research.

Divorce Records

Divorce decrees in Georgia are maintained exclusively by the Superior Court clerk in the county where the divorce was granted — not by the state. The GDPH can confirm that a divorce occurred but does not issue certified copies. Contact the Superior Court clerk in the relevant county for certified copies of dissolution orders.

Georgia Inmate and Corrections Records

Georgia Department of Corrections Inmate Search

URL: gdc.ga.gov (Inmate Search)
Cost: Free

The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) maintains a public inmate search for individuals currently in Georgia state prisons and transitional centers, as well as some historical records. Search by name or GDC ID number. Results for active inmates include current facility, crime, sentence length, and projected release date.

County Jail Rosters

Individuals held in county jails pending trial or serving misdemeanor sentences are managed by county sheriffs. Georgia law requires sheriffs to maintain jail records documenting all committed persons — these are public records under the ORA. Most major Georgia county sheriffs publish online inmate roster searches:

• Fulton County Sheriff — fultoncountyga.gov/departments/sheriff
• DeKalb County Sheriff — co.dekalb.ga.us/sheriff
• Cobb County Sheriff — cobbsheriff.org
• Gwinnett County Sheriff — gwinnettcountysheriff.com

For other counties, search “[county name] Georgia sheriff inmate search.”

Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator

URL: bop.gov/inmateloc
Cost: Free

Individuals incarcerated in federal prisons — including those convicted in Georgia’s three federal districts — are searchable through the BOP Inmate Locator by name or federal register number.

Professional License Records

Georgia licenses a wide range of professions through the Georgia Secretary of State’s Professional Licensing Boards Division, which oversees more than 40 professional licensing boards.

URL: sos.ga.gov/professional-licensing (License Verification)
Cost: Free

Professions licensed through the Secretary of State include: accountants (CPA), architects, attorneys (State Bar), athletic trainers, chiropractors, cosmetologists and barbers, counselors, dentists, dietitians, engineers, foresters, geologists, hearing aid dealers, landscape architects, land surveyors, massage therapists, nursing home administrators, optometrists, pharmacists, physical therapists, physicians and physician assistants, podiatrists, psychologists, registered nurses, social workers, speech-language pathologists, veterinarians, and many more. License verification searches return current license status, license number, expiration date, and any disciplinary actions on record.

Additional professional licensing bodies include:

• State Bar of Georgia — gabar.org — licensed attorneys and disciplinary history
• Georgia Real Estate Commission — grec.state.ga.us — real estate agents and brokers
• Georgia Department of Insurance — oci.ga.gov — insurance agents and companies
• Georgia Professional Standards Commission — gapsc.com — teacher certificates and educator credentials
• FINRA BrokerCheck — brokercheck.finra.org — investment advisors and broker-dealers

Charity and Nonprofit Records

Georgia charities soliciting donations in Georgia must register with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Charities division. Registration records — including the charity name, officers, financial filings, and annual reports — are searchable through the SOS Charities portal at sos.ga.gov/charitable-organizations.

Federal tax-exempt organizations operating in Georgia file Form 990 with the IRS. These annual information returns are publicly available through:

• IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search — apps.irs.gov/app/eos
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer — projects.propublica.org/nonprofits
• Candid (GuideStar) — candid.org

Georgia nonprofit corporations are also registered with the Secretary of State and searchable through the business entity search portal. The ORA also extends to any nonprofit organization that receives more than one-third of its funds in the form of a direct allocation of tax funds from a state, county, or municipal government — making records of publicly funded nonprofits subject to ORA disclosure.

How to Submit a Georgia Open Records Act Request

Step 1 — Identify the Agency and Its Open Records Officer

Agencies subject to the ORA include all offices and departments of the executive and legislative branches of state government, all county and municipal agencies, school districts, authorities, and any nonprofit receiving more than one-third of its funding from government sources. The judicial branch is not subject to the ORA — use Uniform Court Rule 21 procedures for court records. Agencies must designate an Open Records Officer and post that designation on their website. The Georgia AG’s open government resources at law.georgia.gov/key-issues/open-government list guidance and agency contacts.

Step 2 — Submit the Request (Written for Enforcement Rights)

Oral requests are permitted under the ORA, but the agency’s duty to respond within three business days and the ability to use enforcement provisions (§§ 50-18-73 and 50-18-74) apply only to written requests. Submit requests in writing — by email, mail, fax, or in-person letter — to preserve your enforcement rights. No particular form or language is required. Describe the records sought with reasonable specificity. Agencies may accept requests by email if they use email in the normal course of business. No residency requirement exists; any person may request records from any Georgia agency.

Step 3 — Response Timeline

Georgia has the shortest mandatory response window of any state in this guide series:

• Agencies must produce all available responsive records within three business days of receiving the request
• If some records cannot be produced within three days, the agency must produce what is available immediately and provide written notice of when the remaining records will be ready
• No extension is available simply because the designated Open Records Officer is unavailable
• For very complex or voluminous requests, the agency must notify the requester within three days of the anticipated time and cost

Step 4 — Fees

• Copying fees: maximum $0.10 per page for standard paper documents; actual cost for other document types; actual cost of the media for electronic records
• Search and retrieval fees: chargeable only when the search and retrieval impose an unusual administrative cost or burden (not for routine requests)
• No search fee applies to most standard public records requests per the Trammell v. Martin standard
• Prepayment: required when estimated costs exceed $500
• Agencies must use the most economical means reasonably calculated to identify and produce responsive documents

Step 5 — If Access Is Denied

• Review the denial letter: the agency must cite the specific exemption by exact code section, subsection, and paragraph. A vague or non-specific denial is a red flag and may be challenged as inadequate
• AG Open Government Mediation Program: contact the Georgia Attorney General’s office at law.georgia.gov/key-issues/open-government for informal mediation assistance with county and municipal agencies (state agency disputes handled separately)
• Civil action in Superior Court: any person may file suit to compel compliance; if the court finds the agency acted without substantial justification, it must award attorney fees and litigation costs to the prevailing party
• Criminal prosecution: willful violations of the ORA are a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $100; the AG may pursue this remedy against agencies

Free Government Databases for Georgia Public Records

Common Mistakes When Researching Georgia Public Records

Submitting an ORA request to a court clerk. Georgia courts are explicitly outside the ORA. A records request to a Superior Court clerk, State Court clerk, or Probate Court citing the Open Records Act is procedurally improper and will be redirected or rejected on that basis. For court records, the applicable law is Uniform Court Rule 21, which creates its own access presumption. In practice, most court clerks will assist researchers without requiring a formal written request — but for disputes over court record access, the ORA is not the correct enforcement mechanism.

Expecting re:SearchGA to cover all Georgia counties. As of 2025, re:SearchGA covers approximately 18 counties participating in the Odyssey eFileGA integration — a significant but far from complete subset of Georgia’s 159 counties. Fulton (Atlanta), DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Rockdale are included, but most other metro Atlanta counties and most of the state’s 159 counties are not. For counties outside the system, the researcher must go directly to the county clerk’s website or courthouse. Don’t conclude a case doesn’t exist because it doesn’t appear in re:SearchGA.

Searching GSCCCA for property deeds before 1999. The GSCCCA statewide real estate index covers recorded instruments from January 1, 1999 forward. For deeds, security deeds, liens, and other recorded instruments before that date, researchers must go to the individual county Superior Court Clerk’s office — either in person, by phone, or through whatever county-level system exists for older records. Older records may be available on microfilm or in physical deed books at the clerk’s office. GSCCCA has no pre-1999 data regardless of what county you’re researching.

Requesting a marriage certificate from GDPH for a marriage before 1952 or after 1996. The state’s vital records office holds marriage records only for June 1952 through August 1996. For all other years, the correct source is the county probate court where the marriage license was issued. This is one of the most common misdirected vital records requests in Georgia — the GDPH will return a no-record response for any marriage outside its 44-year window, even if the record exists and is well-documented at the county level.

Accepting a denial without reviewing the exemption citation for specificity. The ORA requires denial letters to cite the exact code section, subsection, and paragraph authorizing the exemption. A denial that says only “this record is exempt” or cites a general category without the precise statutory reference may be legally deficient and challengeable. Before accepting a denial, verify that the agency has cited a specific, applicable code provision. A vague denial is not legally compliant and should prompt a challenge or AG mediation request.

Conflating Georgia’s two-tier death record system. Georgia allows anyone to obtain a plain-paper death record with the SSN redacted — a fact many researchers don’t know. If you need only the basic facts of a death (name, date, place, cause) for research purposes rather than for legal use, you do not need to be an authorized family member. The full certified copy (suitable for legal purposes, with SSN) requires authorized status. Requesting the “certified” copy as an unauthorized requester will result in denial when the plain-paper copy would have been freely available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Georgia public records open to anyone?

Yes. The Georgia Open Records Act gives any person — regardless of Georgia residency, citizenship, or stated purpose — the right to request and inspect public records from any government agency subject to the ORA. As of 2012, Georgia removed its former citizenship requirement from the statute. Agencies may not require requesters to identify themselves or explain why they want records. The law explicitly states a strong public policy in favor of open government and a strong presumption that public records should be made available for public inspection without delay.

Does Georgia have a FOIA law?

Georgia has its own state open records law called the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. §§ 50-18-70 through 50-18-77). It is often informally called Georgia FOIA, though that name technically refers to the federal law. The ORA establishes the right to inspect government records, sets the three-business-day response deadline, requires specific exemption citations in denial letters, and provides both criminal and civil enforcement mechanisms. Georgia also has a companion Georgia Open Meetings Act (O.C.G.A. §§ 50-14-1 et seq.) governing access to government deliberations.

Are Georgia criminal records public?

Yes, with important nuances. Name-based criminal history searches are available to the public through most Georgia county sheriff offices and local police departments, requiring a signed consent form, valid ID, and a fee of approximately $15. The record returned includes arrest information, charges, and final dispositions. Initial police arrest reports and initial incident reports are explicitly public under the ORA and must be disclosed even when an investigation is ongoing. Restricted (expunged) records, juvenile records, and records of dismissed charges under certain circumstances are not public. For court case information beyond the GCIC system, county court portals show case filings and dispositions for cases that progressed to court proceedings.

Where can Georgia property records be searched?

For recorded instruments (deeds, security deeds, liens, plats) from January 1, 1999 forward, use the GSCCCA Real Estate Index at search.gsccca.org — a free statewide name-based index covering all 159 counties. For property ownership and assessed values, use the county tax assessor portal for the specific county — most use the QPublic platform and are linked through the Georgia DOR directory at dor.georgia.gov/property-records-online. For instruments recorded before 1999, contact the county Superior Court Clerk directly.

Are Georgia arrest records public?

Initial police arrest reports and initial incident reports are explicitly public under the ORA — the pending investigation exemption that covers investigative files does not extend to these foundational documents. This means the basic facts of any arrest must be disclosed upon request, even for ongoing investigations. More detailed investigative materials may be withheld. Many sheriff offices also publish online jail rosters showing current county jail inmates, which effectively discloses recent arrests in real time.

Can Georgia agencies charge fees for Open Records Act requests?

Yes, but with meaningful restrictions. Copy fees are capped at $0.10 per page for standard documents. Search, retrieval, and redaction fees may only be charged when those tasks impose an “unusual administrative cost or burden” — routine requests for readily accessible records should be produced without search fees under Georgia court precedent (Trammell v. Martin, 1991). Agencies must use the most economical means available to identify and produce responsive records. When estimated costs exceed $500, agencies may require prepayment. Disputes about fee overcharges can be raised with the AG’s mediation program or through Superior Court action.

Final Thoughts

Georgia’s Open Records Act punches above its weight compared to most state open records laws. The three-business-day response deadline is the shortest of any state in this guide series — shorter than even Illinois’s tight five-day window — and the requirement to cite exemptions by exact statutory reference provides a meaningful check on vague or overbroad denials. The GSCCCA statewide real estate index is one of the most useful consolidated property records tools of any guide state, covering all 159 counties in a single searchable database from a free name search. Death records being partially public for anyone (plain-paper copy, SSN redacted) is a genuine access provision that few researchers know about.

The main practical limitations are the court records fragmentation — re:SearchGA covers only about 18 counties despite Georgia’s 159 — and the marriage records gap at the state level (only 1952–1996, with everything else at county probate courts). The GSCCCA’s pre-1999 data gap is also a significant limitation for historical property research. For current and recent records, however, Georgia’s combination of fast response timelines, a statewide deed index, broadly accessible criminal history through sheriff offices, and partially public death records make it one of the more researcher-friendly frameworks in the Southeast.

For most research tasks: use re:SearchGA and county clerk portals for court records, the GSCCCA for property deeds and liens from 1999 forward, county QPublic portals for assessed values, county sheriff offices for criminal history name searches, the GDC for state prison records, and the SOS for business and professional license information.

Related Guides

• Texas Public Records: A Complete Research Guide
• Florida Public Records: A Complete Research Guide
• New York Public Records: A Complete Research Guide
• Pennsylvania Public Records: A Complete Research Guide
• Illinois Public Records: A Complete Research Guide
• California Public Records: A Complete Research Guide
• How to Search Property Records Step by Step
• How FOIA Requests Work

Disclaimer

This guide is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. Public records laws, agency procedures, and fees change over time. Always verify current law and agency requirements directly with the relevant government office or a licensed Georgia attorney before relying on this information for legal or official purposes.