Access Banks County Genealogy

Banks County genealogy records go back to 1859, the year the county was formed from Franklin and Habersham counties in northeast Georgia. The Probate Court in Homer holds marriage licenses, wills, estate inventories, and guardianship files. The Clerk of Superior Court maintains land deeds, divorce records, and civil case files. Researchers tracing family lines before 1859 should look at Franklin County and Habersham County records for the earlier period. Banks County is a small, rural county in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Banks County Probate Court Records

The Banks County Probate Court is the key office for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses date from 1859. The court holds wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. These records are essential for building a Banks County family tree.

The courthouse is at 144 Yonah Road in Homer. You can visit in person or submit a mail request with a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment by check or money order. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses. Certified copies cost $2.50 for the first page and $0.50 per additional page. Call to check current fees before mailing your request.

Banks County was created just before the Civil War, so early records from the 1860s may be incomplete due to wartime disruptions. Check the Georgia Archives for microfilmed copies of any records that may have been damaged or lost.

Note: Before 1859, the area that is now Banks County was divided between Franklin and Habersham counties, so pre-1859 marriage and probate records are in those courthouses.

Banks County Superior Court Genealogy

The Clerk of Superior Court holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal case records from 1859. Land deeds show property transfers within families. Divorce records often name children and list ages and property. These files help confirm family connections that other records might miss.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records are public. The Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71 sets a copy fee cap of 10 cents per page for standard documents. Tax digests from the Superior Court can fill in census gaps. Georgia lost its 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 federal census records. For Banks County, tax digests from the 1860s onward help locate ancestors. For earlier periods, check Franklin or Habersham County tax records.

Vital Records for Banks County Genealogy

Georgia began statewide vital records in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. For Banks County births and deaths before 1919, you need to use county-level sources. Church records, cemetery transcriptions, and family Bibles are the best options for pre-1919 data in this area.

Birth and death certificates from 1919 forward are available through the Georgia Department of Public Health or the Banks County Health Department. First copies cost $25, and additional copies cost $5 each. 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 are more widely available for genealogy research.

The Georgia Virtual Vault has free death certificates from 1919 to 1943. FamilySearch.org has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 indexed at no cost. These are good starting points for Banks County genealogy.

Note: Marriage records from 1952 to 1996 were also filed at the state level with the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Banks County GAGenWeb Genealogy

The Banks County GAGenWeb page offers free genealogy resources from volunteers, including cemetery transcriptions, census data, and family trees.

This site connects you with others researching Banks County family lines. Volunteers share records found at courthouses and archives.

Other free resources include FamilySearch with 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 Banks County

Start with what you know. List names, dates, and places for your Banks County ancestors. Work backward one generation at a time.

Census records are a strong next step. Federal census data from 1860 to 1940 is available for Banks County at the Georgia Archives through Ancestry.com (free in the search room). The Georgia Archives is at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260, open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Free access to Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Fold3 is available in the search room. Before 1860, search for your ancestors in Franklin or Habersham County census records.

• 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 the Vanishing Georgia collection for historical photos
• Review estate records when birth or death dates are unknown

Georgia has 159 counties, and boundary changes happened often. Banks County was formed from Franklin and Habersham in 1859. The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help you identify which county held jurisdiction over a given area at any point in history.

Cities in Banks County

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

Nearby Counties

These counties border Banks County. For pre-1859 records, Franklin and Habersham counties are the most important to check.