Douglasville Genealogy Record Search

Douglasville genealogy records are kept at the Douglas County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk at 8700 Hospital Drive. Records date back to 1870 when Douglas County was formed from Campbell and Carroll counties.

Douglas County Probate Court Records

The Douglas County Probate Court is the main source for Douglasville genealogy records. It holds marriage licenses from 1870 to the present. Wills, estate files, guardianship records, and letters of administration are also kept here. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over all estate and marriage records in Douglas County.

Douglasville is the county seat. All probate records for Douglas County are stored at this courthouse. You can visit in person to search. The court also takes mail requests. Include the full name, dates if you have them, and the record type you need. A search fee and copy fees apply. Regular copies cost about $1 per page. Certified copies run higher. Call ahead to confirm the current fees.

Douglas County was created in 1870 from parts of Campbell and Carroll counties. If your ancestors were in this area before 1870, you need to check those older counties for records. Campbell County was absorbed into Fulton County in 1932, so Campbell County records are now at the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta.

Land Records and Superior Court

The Douglas County Superior Court Clerk holds land deeds, plat maps, divorce records, and civil case files from 1870 onward. These records help with Douglasville genealogy because they show property transfers and family connections.

Land records are a strong tool for genealogy in the Douglasville area. Deed books show when your ancestors bought or sold land. They often list family members. Plat maps show property lines and nearby landmarks like roads and creeks. If your family owned land near Douglasville after 1870, the Superior Court has the paperwork.

For land records before 1870, check Carroll County (in Carrollton) and Campbell County (now in Fulton County records in Atlanta). Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Douglas County are open to the public.

Vital Records for Douglasville

Georgia started keeping vital records statewide in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. For Douglasville, birth and death records before 1919 may not exist at the state level. Check church records, cemetery records, and family Bibles for earlier dates.

The Georgia Department of Public Health handles state vital records. Birth certificates cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each extra. Death certificates are the same. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates are only available to close family members and legal guardians.

Death certificates are easier to get for genealogy work. They list the person's name, date and place of death, parents' names, and burial location. Marriage records from 1952 to 1996 were also filed at the state level, but the Douglas County Probate Court is the best source for marriage records from 1870 forward.

Douglas County GAGenWeb Genealogy

The Douglas County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run resource with cemetery transcriptions, census data, family trees, and records shared by researchers working on Douglas County family lines.

Volunteers on this site share records found at the Douglasville courthouse, local libraries, and state archives. It is a good starting point for connecting with other researchers.

Other free resources for Douglasville genealogy include FamilySearch, which has Georgia marriages from 1754 to 1960, probate records from 1742 to 1990, and death records from 1914 to 1943. The Georgia Historic Newspapers archive has over a million pages of old newspapers with obituaries, legal notices, and family announcements from across Georgia.

Georgia Archives and Online Access

The Georgia Archives is at 5800 Jonesboro Road in Morrow, about 30 miles southeast of Douglasville. Call (678) 364-3710 for hours. The archives hold microfilmed Douglas County records, vital records, military records, and land grants. Free access to Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Fold3 is available in the search room.

The Virtual Vault gives you free online access to some collections from home. Death certificates from 1919 to 1943 are available. So are Confederate pension applications, county maps, and the Vanishing Georgia photo collection.

You can also search Douglas County records through the E-Access to Court Records system. Registration is free. Basic case data costs nothing. Documents cost $2.50 for the first page and $1.00 for each page after. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the Georgia Open Records Act limits copy fees for public records.

Research Tips for Douglasville Genealogy

Start with what you know. Write down names, dates, and places. Work backward one generation at a time.

Census records are a good next step. Federal census data from 1820 to 1950 is available at the Georgia Archives. Douglas County first appears in the 1870 census. For ancestors in this area before 1870, search the Campbell County and Carroll County census records instead.

The biggest challenge with Douglas County genealogy is the 1870 start date. The county is relatively young by Georgia standards. For earlier records, check Carroll County in Carrollton and the old Campbell County records now held by Fulton County. The Virtual Vault has a free tool showing Georgia county boundary changes over time.

• Check cemetery records when vital records are missing
• Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
• Look at Family Bible records at the Georgia Archives
• Use Campbell County records at Fulton County for pre-1870 research
• Try estate records when birth or death dates are unknown

Douglas County Genealogy Records

Douglasville is the county seat of Douglas County. All marriage licenses, probate records, land deeds, and court cases are filed at the Douglas County courthouse. Records go back to 1870.

View Douglas County Genealogy Records

Nearby Georgia Cities

These cities are near Douglasville. Each has its own page with local genealogy resources and courthouse information.