Bacon County Genealogy Search

Bacon County genealogy records start in 1914, when the county was carved from Appling, Pierce, and Ware counties. The Probate Court in Alma holds marriage licenses, wills, estate files, and guardianship records. The Clerk of Superior Court keeps land deeds, divorce records, and civil case files. Researchers looking for family records before 1914 will need to search the parent counties, particularly Appling County, which has records going back to 1818.

Bacon County Probate Court Records

The Bacon County Probate Court is the main source for marriage and estate records. This court has marriage licenses from 1914 to the present. Wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories are also held here. These records help trace family connections in Bacon County.

The courthouse is at 502 W. 12th Street in Alma. You can visit in person or send a mail request with payment by check or money order. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, and marriage licenses. Certified copies cost $2.50 for the first page and $0.50 for each page after. Call to check current fees before sending payment.

Note: Before 1914, the area that became Bacon County was part of Appling, Pierce, and Ware counties, so earlier marriage and estate records are in those courthouses.

Bacon County Superior Court Genealogy

The Clerk of Superior Court holds land deeds, divorce records, and civil and criminal case files from 1914 onward. Land records show property sales and transfers between family members. Divorce files frequently name children and list property. Civil cases sometimes reveal estate disputes that help piece together family connections.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records are open to the public. The Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71 caps standard copy fees at 10 cents per page, though courts may have different fees set by local rules. Tax digests held by the Superior Court are useful for filling in gaps where census records are missing. Georgia lost its 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 federal census data, and tax lists from those years help locate ancestors in Bacon County territory.

Vital Records for Bacon County Genealogy

Georgia started statewide vital records in 1919. Bacon County was already formed by then, so birth and death certificates from 1919 forward are available. Birth certificates cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each additional copy through the Georgia Department of Public Health. Death certificates cost the same.

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates are restricted. Only the person named, parents, grandparents, adult siblings, adult children, spouses, or legal guardians can get them. Death certificates are easier to obtain for genealogy. The Georgia Virtual Vault has free death certificates from 1919 to 1943. FamilySearch.org has indexed death records from 1914 to 1943 at no cost.

For births and deaths before 1919 in the area that is now Bacon County, check church records, cemetery transcriptions, and family Bibles. The Georgia Archives in Morrow may have some early county-level records on microfilm.

Note: Marriage records from 1952 to 1996 were also filed at the state level with the Georgia Department of Public Health, so that is another place to check for Bacon County marriages from that era.

Bacon County GAGenWeb Resources

The Bacon County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy site with cemetery records, census data, and family tree information.

This page connects researchers working on Bacon County family lines. Volunteers often share transcriptions and documents found at local courthouses and archives.

Free resources at FamilySearch include 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 obituaries, legal notices, and family announcements from over one million pages of old Georgia newspapers.

Research Tips for Bacon County Genealogy

Start with what you know. List all names, dates, and places for your Bacon County family and work backward from there.

Census records are a strong next step. The 1920 census is the first to show Bacon County as its own entity. Before that, look for your family in Appling, Pierce, or Ware County census records. The Georgia Archives at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260 has census records through 1940 available via Ancestry.com. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and the search room gives you free access to Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Fold3.

• Check cemetery records when vital records are unavailable
• Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
• Review estate records when birth or death dates are unknown
• Use Vanishing Georgia collection for historical Bacon County photos
• Look at Family Bible records on microfilm at the Georgia Archives

Bacon County boundary changes affect your research. Since the county was formed from parts of three other counties in 1914, any records from before that year are split across Appling, Pierce, and Ware counties. The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help you figure out which county held jurisdiction over your ancestors at any given time.

Cities in Bacon County

Alma is the county seat and largest city in Bacon County. All genealogy records for cities in this county are maintained at the Bacon County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Alma. No cities in Bacon County meet the population threshold for a separate city page.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Bacon County. Records for the pre-1914 period are especially important in the parent counties of Appling, Pierce, and Ware.