Candler County Genealogy Search

Candler County genealogy records begin in 1914 when the county was created from parts of Bulloch, Emanuel, and Tattnall counties. The Probate Court in Metter holds marriage licenses, wills, and estate files. The Superior Court Clerk maintains land deeds, divorce records, and court case files. Since Candler County is relatively young by Georgia standards, researchers often need to check the parent counties for earlier records. Understanding which county held your ancestor's records before 1914 is an important first step for any Candler County genealogy project.

Candler County Probate Court Records

The Candler County Probate Court in Metter stores marriage records, wills, estate inventories, and guardianship files from 1914 forward. This is your primary source for marriage licenses and estate documents in Candler County.

Visit the courthouse in person to search records or submit a request by mail. The Probate Court can help you find specific records if you provide the name and approximate date range. Fees typically include a search fee of around $10 and copy fees of $1 per page. Certified copies cost more. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses.

Since Candler County was carved from Bulloch, Emanuel, and Tattnall counties in 1914, records for ancestors living in this area before that date will be found in those parent county courthouses. This is a common issue with younger Georgia counties, and it trips up new researchers regularly.

Note: Pre-1900 records from the parent counties are on microfilm at the Georgia Archives in Morrow. Check Bulloch County records first if your family lived near Metter before 1914.

Candler County Genealogy Online Resources

The Georgia Probate Courts Directory lists contact information for the Candler County Probate Court and all 158 other county probate courts in Georgia. This is a good starting point for finding the right office.

The directory provides phone numbers, addresses, and sometimes hours for each probate court in the state.

Other free online resources for Candler County genealogy include FamilySearch, which has Georgia marriages from 1754 to 1960 and probate records from 1742 to 1990. The Virtual Vault at the Georgia Archives has death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online at no cost. The Georgia Historic Newspapers archive has over a million pages of old newspapers that may include Candler County obituaries, legal notices, and family news.

Candler County Superior Court Genealogy

The Superior Court Clerk in Candler County holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal case records from 1914 to the present. Deed books show property sales and transfers. They often name family members and describe the exact location of land parcels.

Divorce records are another useful source. They can list children, property, ages, and other details that help confirm family connections. Court minutes from criminal and civil cases sometimes mention family members as witnesses or parties to disputes. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records are open to the public. The Georgia Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71 sets copy fees at no more than 10 cents per page for standard documents from public agencies, though court records may have different fee schedules.

Vital Records for Candler County

Georgia started statewide birth and death registration in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. Candler County was created in 1914, so the county has birth and death records from nearly the start of statewide registration. The county health department can issue certified copies of these records.

Birth certificates cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each additional one. 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 are more open to the public.

For records before 1919, search cemetery transcriptions, church records, and family Bibles. The Georgia Archives has various pre-1919 records on microfilm that may include families from the area that became Candler County.

Note: Marriage records at the state level cover 1952 to 1996 only. For all other years, the Candler County Probate Court is the only source.

Research Tips for Candler County

Candler County was formed in 1914. That is a key date. If your ancestor lived in this area before 1914, their records are in Bulloch County, Emanuel County, or Tattnall County. Check all three parent counties if you are not sure which part of the current Candler County your ancestor lived in.

Census records are available from 1920 forward for Candler County. For the 1910 census and earlier, look under the parent counties. The Georgia Archives at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260 offers free access to Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org in the search room. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

• Check Bulloch County for records before 1914 in the Metter area
• Search cemetery records when vital records are not available
• Use tax digests to locate ancestors in years where census records are missing
• Look for church records for baptisms, weddings, and burials
• Review the Vanishing Georgia photo collection for historical images

County boundary changes are common in Georgia. The Virtual Vault has a free tool called "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" that shows which county held jurisdiction over a given area at any point in time. This is especially useful for younger counties like Candler that were formed from older ones.

Cities in Candler County

Metter is the county seat and largest city in Candler County. Pulaski is the other incorporated town. All genealogy records for these communities are maintained at the Candler County courthouse in Metter. No cities in Candler County meet the population threshold for a separate city page.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Candler County. Since Candler was formed from parts of Bulloch, Emanuel, and Tattnall counties, checking those parent counties is especially important for pre-1914 genealogy research.