Marietta Genealogy Records
Marietta genealogy records are kept at the Cobb County courthouse, right in downtown Marietta. As the county seat, Marietta has direct access to marriage records, probate files, land deeds, and court cases going back to 1865.
Marietta Quick Facts
Cobb County Courthouse in Marietta
Marietta is the county seat of Cobb County. The courthouse is right here in town. This makes Marietta the easiest place to do in-person genealogy research for anyone with Cobb County roots. The Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk are both in the courthouse complex on Cherokee Street.
Cobb County marriage records start in 1865. Probate records, including wills, estate files, and guardianship papers, also date from 1865. Land records go back to the same year. The courthouse lost older records during the Civil War, so pre-1865 data is limited. For anything before that date, the Georgia Archives may have some materials on microfilm.
The Probate Court handles marriage licenses, wills, estates, and guardianships under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30. The Superior Court Clerk keeps land deeds, divorce records, and civil court files. Both offices take walk-in requests. You can also send mail requests with the right fees.
| Address | 100 Cherokee St, Marietta, GA 30060 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (770) 528-3300 |
| Website | cobbcounty.org |
Vital Records for Marietta Genealogy
Birth and death records in Georgia are managed by the state. The Georgia Department of Public Health has kept statewide vital records since 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. Before 1919, some cities kept their own records but coverage was uneven.
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 restricted. Only the person named, parents, grandparents, adult children, adult siblings, spouses, or legal guardians can get one. Death certificates are less restricted and more useful for genealogy.
The Georgia Archives Virtual Vault has free death certificates from 1919 to 1943. FamilySearch also has indexed Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943. These are solid starting points for Marietta genealogy research, and they cost nothing to use.
Online Access to Marietta Genealogy Records
The state's E-Access to Court Records system lets you search Cobb County records from home. You need to register first, but it is free. Basic case data is available at no charge. Document copies cost $2.50 for the first page and $1.00 for each page after that.
Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most government records in Georgia are open to the public. This includes court records at the Cobb County courthouse. You can file an open records request in writing. The fee for copies is capped at 10 cents per page under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71 for standard documents.
Free online resources include FamilySearch for indexed Georgia records, the Georgia Archives Virtual Vault for digitized documents, and the Georgia Historic Newspapers collection for old Marietta and Cobb County newspapers. Obituaries and legal notices in these papers often have family details you will not find anywhere else.
Cobb County GAGenWeb for Marietta
The Cobb County GAGenWeb page is a free site run by volunteers. It has cemetery transcriptions, census records, family files, and other data shared by people researching Cobb County family lines.
This page shows volunteer-contributed genealogy records for the Cobb County area, including Marietta.
Volunteers post cemetery data, old census lists, and family trees. If someone else has already researched your Marietta family line, their work might be on this page. You can also connect with other researchers who are working on the same surnames.
Research Tips for Marietta Genealogy
Start with what you know. List every name, date, and place you have. Then work back one generation at a time.
Federal census records from 1820 to 1950 are available through Ancestry.com and FamilySearch. The 1850 census was the first to list every person in the household by name and age. The 1890 census was mostly destroyed. For that gap, check Cobb County tax digests at the Georgia Archives.
Marietta has been the county seat since Cobb County was formed in 1832. This means the courthouse has always been here. But keep in mind that the original courthouse burned during the Civil War, which is why records only go back to 1865. For earlier Marietta families, look at state-level records, church records, and newspaper archives.
The Marietta Museum of History on Kennesaw Avenue has some local genealogy resources. They have old photos, city directories, and local history files that can help with Marietta research.
- Check cemetery records at Marietta National Cemetery and local church graveyards
- Search old Marietta newspapers for obituaries and family announcements
- Look at Civil War records if your ancestors were here in the 1860s
- Use the Georgia Archives search room for free database access
- Review Cobb County tax digests for property ownership clues
Cobb County Records
Marietta is the county seat of Cobb County. Visit our Cobb County page for full details on courthouse records, fees, office hours, and contact information.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Marietta. Families often moved between nearby towns, so check records in these areas if you hit a dead end in your Marietta research.