Find Roswell Genealogy Records
Roswell genealogy records are held at the Fulton County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Atlanta. Roswell is one of the older settlements in north Fulton County, with roots going back to the 1830s. All marriage licenses, wills, estate files, land deeds, and court records for Roswell families are filed at the Fulton County courthouse. County records start in 1853 and cover every generation since then.
Roswell Quick Facts
Fulton County Probate Court Records
The Fulton County Probate Court handles all marriage and estate records for Roswell. Marriage licenses go back to 1853. The court also keeps wills, guardianship records, estate inventories, and letters of administration. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over these matters for all of Fulton County.
The Records Division is at 136 Pryor Street SW, 2nd Floor C230, Atlanta, GA 30303. Call (404) 612-4640. Mail requests need a completed Estates Record Request Form with a $10 search fee. Copies cost $1 each. Certified copies are $11 each. The Fulton County Probate Court website has forms you can download.
Fees changed on January 1, 2026 under Senate Bill 232. Call ahead to check current costs.
| Address | 136 Pryor Street SW, 2nd Floor C230, Atlanta, GA 30303 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (404) 612-4640 |
| Website | fultonprobatega.org |
Land Records and Superior Court
The Fulton County Superior Court Clerk holds land deeds, divorce records, and civil case files for Roswell. The office is at 136 Pryor Street SW in Atlanta. Call (404) 612-5107.
Roswell has deep land records. The area was settled in the 1830s, and early families appear in deed books from the time Fulton County was formed. Land records show who owned property, when it was sold, and to whom. Plat maps show property boundaries and list neighbors. These records are among the most useful for Roswell genealogy because they track families across decades in ways that census records alone cannot.
Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, court records in Georgia are public. You can visit the Superior Court Clerk office and look through deed books, court minutes, and divorce files.
Vital Records
Birth and death certificates for Roswell are at the Fulton County Vital Records Office, 141 Pryor Street SW, Suite 1029A, Atlanta, GA 30303. Call (404) 613-1260.
Birth certificates cost $25 for the first copy. Extra copies are $5 each. Death certificates are the same. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, birth certificates are restricted to close family members. Death certificates are more widely available and still very helpful for genealogy research. They list the person's full name, date and place of death, parents' names, and where they were buried.
Statewide vital records in Georgia started in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. For earlier records, check the Georgia Archives. The Virtual Vault has free death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online.
Online Genealogy Tools
The E-Access to Court Records system lets you search Fulton County probate cases and court files from home. Registration is free. Basic case data is free to view. Documents cost $2.50 for the first page and $1.00 for each page after.
FamilySearch has free Georgia records. Marriages from 1754 to 1960 are indexed. Probate records from 1742 to 1990 are available. Death records from 1914 to 1943 are searchable. These are good starting points for Roswell genealogy research.
The Georgia Historic Newspapers archive has over a million pages of old newspapers. Obituaries, legal notices, and social columns from newspapers near Roswell can give you details that court records miss. Newspaper records often mention family events, visitors, church activities, and community life.
The Georgia Probate Courts directory lists contact information for all 159 counties including Fulton County, which serves Roswell.
Georgia Archives and Research
The Georgia Archives is at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. Call (678) 364-3710. It holds microfilmed county records, vital records on film, military records, land grants, and more. Free access to Ancestry.com and FamilySearch is available in the search room. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Census records for the Roswell area run from 1820 to 1950 and are available through Ancestry.com at the archives. The 1850 census was the first to name every household member. Before 1850, only the head of household was named. Tax digests help fill gaps. The 1890 census was largely destroyed, so use other records for that decade.
Roswell is also near the Cobb County line. Some families moved between Fulton and Cobb counties over the years. If you can't find a record in Fulton County, check Cobb County as well. Georgia had 159 counties, and boundaries shifted often in the 1800s.
Research Tips for Roswell
Start with what you already know. Collect names, dates, and places. Then move back one generation at a time.
Cemetery records are important in Roswell. Several historic cemeteries here have graves from the 1800s. Tombstone inscriptions can give you birth dates, death dates, family connections, and even birthplaces that you won't find in any courthouse document. Cemetery transcriptions are sometimes posted on FindAGrave or the GAGenWeb project for Fulton County.
- Check cemetery records when vital records are missing
- Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
- Use tax digests to track families between census years
- Look at land records for property and family connections
- Try the Virtual Vault for free death certificates from 1919 to 1943
Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, Georgia's Open Records Act gives the public a right to inspect most government records. If a county office gives you trouble, cite this statute.
Fulton County Genealogy Records
Roswell is in Fulton County. All marriage licenses, probate records, land deeds, and court cases are filed at the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta. County records go back to 1853.
Nearby Georgia Cities
These cities are close to Roswell. Each page covers local genealogy resources and the courthouse that serves that area.