Search Colquitt County Genealogy

Colquitt County genealogy records date to 1856, the year the county was formed from Lowndes and Thomas counties. The Probate Court in Moultrie holds marriage licenses, wills, estate files, and guardianship records from 1856 forward. Land deeds and court records at the Clerk of Superior Court also go back to 1856. An 1875 act created early birth records for Colquitt County, making it one of a handful of Georgia counties with birth data before statewide registration began in 1919. Researchers tracing family lines in south-central Georgia will find Colquitt County a rich source for over 160 years of records.

Colquitt County Probate Court Records

The Colquitt County Probate Court is the main office for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses date to 1856. The court also holds wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. These records are a key source for tracing family ties in this part of Georgia.

You can visit the courthouse at 101 S. 1st Street SE in Moultrie to search in person. The phone number is 229-616-7400. 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 in Colquitt County.

Birth and death certificates from 1919 forward are available from the Probate Court. Certified copies cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each additional copy. These are the same fees set statewide for all 159 county offices in Georgia.

Colquitt County is one of a few Georgia counties with birth records from before 1919. An 1875 act created an early registration system. These pre-1919 birth entries may be incomplete, but they are a valuable genealogy source.

Colquitt County Genealogy Records Online

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

Volunteers post courthouse transcriptions, cemetery readings, church records, and old newspaper clippings. This is a good starting point for connecting with other researchers in the Moultrie area.

You can also search Colquitt County records through the state's E-Access to Court Records system. Registration is free. Basic probate case data is available at no charge. If you need actual documents, the first page costs $2.50 and each page after that is $1.00. This is a good way to search from home.

Colquitt County Superior Court Records

The Clerk of Superior Court holds land deeds from 1856, divorce records, and civil and criminal case files. Land deeds show property transfers, neighbors, and family connections. They are among the most useful genealogy tools, especially for the years before vital records began.

Divorce records list children, property, and sometimes ages and birth dates. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Georgia are open to the public. You can request copies in person or by mail. The clerk charges a per-page fee for copies.

Civil case files are also worth a look. Lawsuits over land, estate disputes, and guardianship cases often name several family members. These files can fill in gaps when other records fall short. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the Open Records Act caps copy fees at 10 cents per page for standard documents from public agencies.

Vital Records for Colquitt County Genealogy

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 Colquitt County Probate Court or the Georgia Department of Public Health. Certified copies cost $25 for the first and $5 for each extra.

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. For records before 1919, check the Probate Court for the 1875 birth records, church records, cemetery inscriptions, and Family Bible records.

The Georgia Virtual Vault has death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online for free. FamilySearch also has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 indexed at no cost. Both are strong starting points for Colquitt County genealogy research.

Research Tips for Colquitt County

Start with what you know. Write down names, dates, and places. Then work backward one generation at a time. Census records are a great next step. Federal census data from 1860 to 1940 covers Colquitt County (the county was formed in 1856, so the 1860 census is the first). The 1890 census for Georgia was destroyed.

Pre-1900 Colquitt 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. For post-1900 records, contact the courthouse in Moultrie.

The Georgia Historic Newspapers archive has digitized pages from newspapers across the state. Obituaries and legal notices are especially useful. The Moultrie Observer is a good source for Colquitt County family history.

• Check the 1875 birth records at the Probate Court for pre-1919 births
• Search cemetery records when vital records are missing
• Look at church records for baptisms and burials
• Use tax digests to fill in census gap years
• Review estate and guardianship files for family details

Colquitt County was formed from parts of Lowndes and Thomas counties. For ancestors in this area before 1856, check those parent counties. The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to track where your family was counted over time.

Cities in Colquitt County

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

Nearby Counties

These counties border Colquitt County. If your ancestors moved within the south-central Georgia area, check neighboring county records too.