Clay County Genealogy Records

Clay County genealogy records date back to 1854, when this southwest Georgia county was created from parts of Early and Randolph counties. The Probate Court in Fort Gaines holds marriage licenses, wills, estate files, and guardianship records. The Clerk of Superior Court keeps land deeds, divorce records, and court files from the same year. Clay County sits along the Chattahoochee River on the Alabama border. It is one of Georgia's smallest counties by population, but its courthouse has over 170 years of genealogy records. Fort Gaines is the county seat and the main access point for these records.

Clay County Probate Court Records

The Clay County Probate Court is the main office for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses go back to 1854. The court also holds wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. These records are essential for tracing family lines in Clay County.

The courthouse is at 215 N. Washington Street in Fort Gaines. The phone number is 229-768-2631. For mail requests, include 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 cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each extra. These are standard state fees.

Note: Clay County was formed from Early and Randolph counties. For records before 1854, check those parent counties.

Clay County GAGenWeb Genealogy

The Clay County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run site with cemetery records, census data, family trees, and shared genealogy research for Clay County.

Volunteers post courthouse records, cemetery transcriptions, church records, and old newspaper extracts. This is a useful starting point for connecting with other Clay County researchers.

Clay County Land and Court Records

The Clerk of Superior Court in Fort Gaines holds land records, divorce files, and court records from 1854. Land deeds trace property transfers between family members. They are one of the best genealogy tools. 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. You can request copies in person or by mail.

Clay County's location on the Chattahoochee River means some families had ties in Alabama too. Henry County, Alabama is just across the river. If your ancestors lived near the state line, check Alabama records as well. Civil case files and estate disputes in Clay County often name multiple family members.

Vital Records for Clay 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 Clay County Probate Court or the Georgia Department of Public Health.

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 open for genealogy.

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

Clay County Online Genealogy Resources

Search Clay County court 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.

Research Tips for Clay County

Start with what you know. Write down names, dates, and places. Then work backward. Census records for Clay County are available from 1860. The 1890 census was destroyed.

Pre-1900 Clay 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 Alabama records if ancestors lived near the river
• 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 Early and Randolph county records for pre-1854 data

The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help track where your ancestors were counted. For Clay County, check Early County (records from 1818) and Randolph County (records from 1828) for earlier genealogy data.

Cities in Clay County

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

Nearby Counties

These counties border Clay County. Early and Randolph are the parent counties with pre-1854 records.