Cherokee County Genealogy Search
Cherokee County genealogy records begin in 1832, shortly after the county was formed from former Cherokee Nation territory in 1831. The Probate Court in Canton holds marriage licenses from 1832, wills, estate files, and guardianship records. The Clerk of Superior Court maintains land deeds, divorce records, and court files from the same era. Cherokee County is one of the fastest-growing counties in metro Atlanta, but its courthouse records go back nearly two centuries. Researchers tracing family lines in north Georgia will find Cherokee County records essential for understanding early settlement patterns after the Cherokee removal.
Cherokee County Quick Facts
Cherokee County Probate Court Records
The Cherokee County Probate Court is the main office for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses go back to 1832. The court holds wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. These records are essential for tracing family connections in Cherokee County.
The courthouse is at 90 North Street in Canton. The phone number is 678-493-6000. 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 copy and $5 for each extra copy. These are statewide fees.
| Address | 90 North Street, Canton, GA 30114 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (678) 493-6000 |
| Hours | Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
Note: Cherokee County was formed from former Cherokee Nation land. There are no earlier Georgia county records for this area. Cherokee tribal records and federal records from the Cherokee removal era may have relevant genealogy data.
Cherokee County GAGenWeb Genealogy
The Cherokee County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run resource with cemetery transcriptions, census data, family trees, and shared research for Cherokee County genealogy.
Volunteers post records from courthouses, cemeteries, churches, and old newspapers. This is a strong resource for connecting with other Cherokee County researchers.
Cherokee County Superior Court Genealogy
The Clerk of Superior Court in Canton holds land records, divorce files, and court records from 1832. The earliest land records in Cherokee County are Georgia land lottery grants from the 1832 Gold Lottery. These grants distributed former Cherokee land to settlers. Lottery records are a key genealogy source for this county.
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. Divorce records list children and property. Civil case files name multiple family members in disputes.
Tax digests fill gaps when census data is lost. Georgia lost its 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 censuses. Cherokee County has tax records from the 1830s forward that help cover those missing years.
Vital Records for Cherokee County
Georgia started statewide vital records in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. Birth and death certificates from that year forward are available from the Cherokee 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 are more broadly available for genealogy work.
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 records before 1919, church records and cemetery transcriptions are the best sources in Cherokee County.
Cherokee County Online Genealogy Resources
Search Cherokee County 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 additional page.
Free online 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 digitized newspaper pages with obituaries and legal notices from across Georgia.
Research Tips for Cherokee County
Start with what you know. Write down names, dates, and places for your Cherokee County family. Then work backward. Census records are available from 1840 for this county. The 1890 census was destroyed.
Pre-1900 Cherokee 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.
- Check 1832 Georgia Gold Lottery records for early settlers
- Search cemetery records for headstone inscriptions
- Look at church records for baptisms and burials
- Use tax digests for years when census data is missing
- Review estate and guardianship records for family links
Cherokee County has been a source county for several newer counties in north Georgia. The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help track how the county's borders changed over time.
Cities in Cherokee County
Cherokee County has two major cities with separate pages on this site. All genealogy records for these cities are maintained at the Cherokee County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Canton.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Cherokee County. If your ancestors moved in the north Georgia area, check neighboring county records.