Bulloch County Genealogy Search

Bulloch County genealogy records go back to 1796, when the county was created from parts of Bryan and Screven counties. The Probate Court in Statesboro holds marriage licenses, wills, estate files, and guardianship records from 1796. The Clerk of Superior Court maintains land deeds, divorce records, and civil case files from the same year. Bulloch County is the home of Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, and the county has been a center for agriculture and education in southeast Georgia for more than two centuries. Researchers will find a long record trail here.

Bulloch County Probate Court Records

The Bulloch County Probate Court is the main office for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses start in 1796. The court holds wills, letters of administration, guardianship records, and estate inventories. These files are key for family research in Bulloch County.

The courthouse is at 20 Siebald Street in Statesboro. The phone number is 912-764-9005. You can visit in person or send 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.

Birth and death certificates from 1919 forward are available. Certified copies cost $25 for the first and $5 for each extra. These fees are set at the state level.

Bulloch County Genealogy Records Online

The Georgia Probate Courts Directory provides current contact information for the Bulloch County Probate Court and all other Georgia probate courts.

This statewide directory is helpful for confirming phone numbers, addresses, and office hours before you visit or contact the Bulloch County courthouse.

You can also search Bulloch County genealogy records through the E-Access to Court Records system. Registration is free. Basic case data costs nothing. Documents are $2.50 for the first page and $1.00 for each page after. This is a good way to search from home without driving to Statesboro.

Bulloch County Superior Court Genealogy

The Clerk of Superior Court in Statesboro holds land records, divorce files, and court records from 1796. Land deeds show property transfers between family members. They are one of the strongest genealogy tools in any county. Divorce records list children, property, and ages.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Georgia are open to the public. The Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71 caps copy fees at 10 cents per page for standard documents. Civil case files are also worth checking. Lawsuits about property and estates often name multiple relatives.

Tax digests at the Superior Court fill in gaps when census data is lost. Georgia lost its 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 censuses. Bulloch County tax records can help cover those years.

Vital Records for Bulloch County

Georgia started statewide vital records in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. Birth and death certificates from 1919 forward are available from the Bulloch County Probate Court or the Georgia Department of Public Health. Certified copies cost $25 for the first and $5 for each additional.

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates are restricted to the person named, parents, grandparents, adult siblings, adult children, spouses, or legal guardians. Death certificates have fewer restrictions.

The Georgia Virtual Vault has free death certificates from 1919 to 1943. FamilySearch has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 indexed at no cost. For vital records before 1919, check church records, cemetery inscriptions, and family Bibles.

Research Tips for Bulloch County

Start with what you know. Write down names, dates, and places. Then work backward. Census records for Bulloch County are available from 1800 forward, though the early censuses were destroyed.

Pre-1900 Bulloch County records are on microfilm at the Georgia Archives at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. Hours are 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. Georgia Southern University in Statesboro may also have local history collections.

• Check cemetery records when vital records are not available
• Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
• Use tax digests for years with no census data
• Review the Georgia Historic Newspapers for obituaries
• Look at estate records for family connections

Bulloch County has been stable since 1796, but neighboring counties were carved from it over time. The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help you track boundary shifts and find where your ancestors were counted.

Cities in Bulloch County

Statesboro is the county seat and largest city in Bulloch County. All genealogy records are at the Bulloch County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Statesboro.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Bulloch County. If your ancestors moved in southeast Georgia, check these neighboring records.