Find Evans County Genealogy Records

Evans County genealogy records begin in 1914, the year the county was formed from Bulloch and Tattnall counties. The Probate Court in Claxton holds marriage licenses, wills, estate files, and guardianship records from 1914 forward. Land deeds and court records at the Clerk of Superior Court also start in 1914. Evans County is a small, rural county in southeast Georgia. Researchers tracing family lines here before 1914 will need to check Bulloch and Tattnall counties for earlier records. Note: Evans County is named for the Confederate general Clement Evans and should not be confused with the city of Evans in Columbia County.

Evans County Probate Court Records

The Evans County Probate Court is the main office for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses date to 1914. The court also holds wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. These records help trace family connections in the Claxton area.

The courthouse is at 3 W. Main Street in Claxton. The phone number is 912-739-3868. You can search in person or send a mail request with a self-addressed stamped envelope and 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 Evans County.

Birth and death certificates from 1919 forward are available from the Probate Court. Since Evans County was formed in 1914 and statewide registration started in 1919, nearly all vital records here fall within the state system. Certified copies cost $25 for the first and $5 for each extra.

Note: For records before 1914, check Bulloch County (records from 1796) and Tattnall County (records from 1801). These are the parent counties for Evans County.

Evans County Genealogy Resources Online

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

This statewide directory is helpful for confirming phone numbers, addresses, and office hours before you contact the Evans County courthouse in Claxton.

You can also search Evans County records through the E-Access to Court Records system. Registration is free. Basic case data costs nothing. If you need actual documents, the first page is $2.50 and each page after that is $1.00. This lets you search from home without traveling to Claxton.

Evans County Superior Court Records

The Clerk of Superior Court holds land deeds from 1914, divorce records, and civil and criminal case files. Land deeds are important for genealogy. They show who owned property, who bought and sold, and who lived nearby. Divorce records list children, property, and sometimes ages.

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. Civil case files can reveal estate disputes and guardianship cases that name family members.

For land records in the Evans County area before 1914, check Bulloch and Tattnall county deed books. Early deeds often name wives and children. 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 Evans County Genealogy

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 Evans 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 church records, cemetery inscriptions, and Family Bible entries.

The Georgia Virtual Vault has death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online for free. FamilySearch has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 at no cost. The Georgia Historic Newspapers archive has digitized pages with obituaries from southeast Georgia papers.

Research Tips for Evans County

Start with what you know. Write down names, dates, and places. Then work backward. Because Evans County was formed in 1914, the 1920 census is the first to list it separately. For earlier census data, search Bulloch and Tattnall counties.

The Georgia Archives at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260 has census records through 1940 via Ancestry.com (free in the search room). Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. FamilySearch.org and Fold3 are also free at the Archives.

• Check Bulloch and Tattnall counties for records before 1914
• Search cemetery records when vital records are not available
• Look at church records for baptisms and burials
• Use tax digests for census gap years
• Review estate and guardianship files for family details

Evans County was carved from Bulloch and Tattnall counties in 1914. For ancestors in this area before that date, those parent counties are your primary sources. The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help track county lines over time.

Cities in Evans County

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

Nearby Counties

These counties border Evans County. Bulloch and Tattnall are the parent counties with pre-1914 records for this area.