Search Rome Genealogy Records

Rome genealogy records are held at the Floyd County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk at 3 Government Plaza in downtown Rome. Marriage records, probate files, land deeds, and court cases date back to 1833 when Floyd County was first formed.

Floyd County Probate Court Records

The Floyd County Probate Court is the main source for Rome genealogy records. It holds marriage licenses from 1833 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 Floyd County.

Rome is the county seat of Floyd County. That means all probate records for the entire county are stored right in the city. You can visit the courthouse in person to search records. Staff can help you find what you need. The court also takes requests by mail. Include the full name of the person you are looking for, any dates you have, and the type of record you need. A search fee and copy fees apply.

Regular copies cost about $1 per page. Certified copies run around $2.50 for the first page and $0.50 for each page after that. These fees can change, so call the Probate Court to confirm before you send payment. Money orders are the safest way to pay by mail.

Superior Court Clerk and Land Records

The Floyd County Superior Court Clerk holds land deeds, plat maps, divorce records, and civil and criminal case files dating back to 1833. These records are useful for Rome genealogy because they show property transfers, legal disputes, and family connections that other records might miss.

Land records are a good tool for genealogy work. Deed books show when your ancestors bought or sold land in the Rome area. They often list family members and neighbors. Plat maps can show you exactly where the property sat. If your family owned land near Rome in the 1800s, the Superior Court Clerk likely has the paperwork.

Divorce records are another source worth checking. The Superior Court has handled divorce cases since 1833. These files often name children, list property, and give ages or birth dates. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Floyd County are open to the public.

Vital Records for Rome Genealogy

Georgia did not start keeping vital records at the state level until 1919. That is when O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9 took effect. For Rome, this means 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 vital records for the state. You can order birth and death certificates through the DPH Vital Records office. Birth certificates cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each extra copy. Death certificates cost the same.

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates are only available to the person named, parents, grandparents, adult siblings, adult children, spouses, or legal guardians. Death certificates have fewer restrictions. For genealogy, death certificates are often easier to get. They list the person's name, date and place of death, parents' names, and where they were buried.

Marriage records from 1952 to 1996 were also filed at the state level. But the best source for Floyd County marriage records is the Probate Court in Rome.

Floyd County GAGenWeb Genealogy

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

This site connects you with other people researching Floyd County families. Volunteers often post records they have found at courthouses, libraries, and archives across northwest Georgia.

Other free online resources for Rome 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.

Georgia Archives and Online Access

The Georgia Archives is at 5800 Jonesboro Road in Morrow, about 70 miles southeast of Rome. Call (678) 364-3710 for hours. The archives hold microfilmed Floyd County records, vital records, military records, land grants, and more. 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 Georgia Archives collections from home. Death certificates from 1919 to 1943 are there. So are Confederate pension applications, county maps, and the Vanishing Georgia photo collection. These can help with Rome genealogy research without making the drive to Morrow.

You can also search Floyd County genealogy records through the E-Access to Court Records system. Registration is free. Basic case data costs nothing to view. If you need actual documents, the first page costs $2.50 and each page after that is $1.00. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the Georgia Open Records Act sets limits on what agencies can charge for copies of public records.

Research Tips for Rome Genealogy

Start with what you know. Write down names, dates, and places. Then 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 through Ancestry.com. The 1850 census was the first to list every person in the household by name and age. Keep in mind that the 1890 census was mostly destroyed by fire. For that gap, use tax digests and city directories to track your family in Rome.

Floyd County was created from Cherokee County in 1832. If your ancestors were in this area before that date, check Cherokee County records. The county seat has always been Rome. County boundaries in Georgia shifted often in the 1800s, so always check which county your ancestors fell under for any given year. The Virtual Vault has a free resource called "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" that can help.

• 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 (45 volumes on microfilm)
• Use the Vanishing Georgia collection for old photos from Floyd County
• Try estate records when birth or death dates are unknown

Floyd County Genealogy Records

Rome is the county seat of Floyd County. All marriage licenses, probate records, land deeds, and court cases for the city are filed at the Floyd County courthouse in Rome. Floyd County records go back to 1833.

View Floyd County Genealogy Records

Nearby Georgia Cities

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