Find Genealogy in Fulton County
Fulton County genealogy records go back to 1853, the year the county was formed. The Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Atlanta hold marriage records, wills, estate files, land deeds, and court cases that help trace family lines in this part of Georgia. Fulton County also has some of the best genealogy resources in the state, from the Georgia Archives in Morrow to the Auburn Avenue Research Library in Atlanta. Whether you need a birth record from 1896 or a will from the 1800s, Fulton County has deep collections for genealogy research.
Fulton County Quick Facts
Fulton County Probate Court Genealogy
The Fulton County Probate Court is the main source for marriage and estate records used in genealogy. This court holds marriage licenses from 1853 to the present. It also keeps wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. These records are key for tracing family lines in Fulton County.
You can visit the Fulton County Probate Court in person at the Records Division on the second floor. Staff can help you find the records you need. The court also takes requests by mail. Send a completed Estates Record Request Form with a $10 search fee to the address below. Copies cost $1 each, and certified copies cost $11 each. Pay by money order or attorney's check. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has full jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses in Fulton County.
The Fulton County Probate Court Records Division provides a look at how genealogy records are stored and accessed in this county.
This page shows the records request process and what types of genealogy documents are available through the Fulton County Probate Court.
| Address | 136 Pryor Street, SW, Second Floor C230, Atlanta, GA 30303 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (404) 612-4640 |
| Probate.Records@fultoncountyga.gov | |
| Website | fultonprobatega.org |
Note: Fees changed on January 1, 2026 under Senate Bill 232, so call ahead to check current costs for Fulton County genealogy records.
Fulton County Genealogy Records Online
The Fulton County Probate Court website has details on how to request genealogy records, office hours, and fee schedules.
From this site you can find forms for estate record requests, learn about marriage license procedures, and get contact information for the Fulton County Probate Court.
You can also search Fulton County genealogy 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 to view actual documents, the first page costs $2.50 and each page after that costs $1.00. This is a good way to search Fulton County genealogy records from home without making a trip to Atlanta.
The E-Access system is shown on the Georgia Administrative Office of Courts portal below.
This portal lets you look up probate cases, estate records, and other court files for Fulton County genealogy research.
Fees for Fulton County Genealogy Records
Fulton County charges fees for genealogy record requests. The Fulton County Probate Court fee schedule lists all current costs.
Current fees include $209 for a Petition for Letters of Administration, $209 to probate a will, $15 to file a will for safekeeping, and $75 for motions or caveats. Copy fees for Fulton County genealogy records are $1 per page for regular copies and $11 for certified copies.
Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the Georgia Open Records Act caps copy fees at 10 cents per page for standard letter or legal size documents from public agencies. But court records may have different fee structures set by local rules. If you are unsure about the total cost of Fulton County genealogy records, email Probate.Records@fultoncountyga.gov with details of what you need. Staff can give you a total before you pay.
Fulton County Superior Court Genealogy
The Fulton County Superior Court Clerk holds land records, divorce records, and civil and criminal case files going back to 1853. These records are useful for genealogy in Fulton County because they show property transfers, legal disputes, and family connections that other records might miss.
The Superior Court Clerk office is at 136 Pryor Street SW in Atlanta. Deed books, plat maps, and old court minutes can help you piece together where your ancestors lived and what land they owned in Fulton County.
Divorce records are another important source for Fulton County genealogy. The Superior Court has handled divorce cases since 1853. These files often name children, list property, and give ages or birth dates that help confirm family connections. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Fulton County are open to the public.
Vital Records for Fulton County Genealogy
Fulton County has some of the oldest vital records in Georgia. Atlanta birth records date back to 1896. Death records for Atlanta start in 1889. These predate the statewide vital records system that began in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9.
The Fulton County Vital Records Office is at 141 Pryor Street, SW, Suite 1029A, Atlanta, GA 30303. Call 404-613-1260 for help. Birth certificates cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each additional copy. Death certificates are the same price. 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 widely available for Fulton County genealogy research.
For records before 1919, check the Georgia Archives for microfilmed Fulton County vital records. The Virtual Vault has death certificates from 1919 to 1943 available online for free. FamilySearch.org also has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 indexed and available at no cost. These are great starting points for Fulton County genealogy.
Note: Marriage records from 1952 to 1996 were also filed at the state level with the Georgia Department of Public Health.
Fulton County GAGenWeb Genealogy
The Fulton County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy resource. It has cemetery transcriptions, census data, family trees, and other records shared by other researchers working on Fulton County genealogy.
This site connects you with other people researching Fulton County family lines. Volunteers often post records they have found at courthouses, libraries, and archives.
Other free online resources for Fulton County genealogy include FamilySearch, which has 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 over one million pages of old Georgia newspapers with obituaries, legal notices, and family announcements that can help with Fulton County genealogy.
Genealogy Research Tips for Fulton County
Start with what you know. Write down all the names, dates, and places you already have for your Fulton County family. Then work backward one generation at a time.
Census records are often the best next step. Federal census data is available from 1820 to 1940 at the Georgia Archives through Ancestry.com (free in the search room). Keep in mind that the 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 federal census records for Georgia were destroyed. For those gaps, use Fulton County tax digests to find where your ancestors lived. The 1850 census was the first to list every person in the household by name and age.
Pre-1900 Fulton County records are available on microfilm at the Georgia Archives in Morrow. For records after 1900, you need to go to the courthouse in Atlanta. The Georgia Archives address is 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. They are open 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 cemetery records and tombstone inscriptions when vital records are missing
- Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
- Look at Family Bible records (45 volumes on microfilm at Georgia Archives)
- Use the Vanishing Georgia collection for historical photos from Fulton County
- Review estate records when birth or death dates are unknown
Fulton County boundary changes matter for genealogy. Georgia has 159 counties, and borders shifted often in the 1800s. The Virtual Vault has a free resource called "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" that shows which county your ancestors were counted in for any given year.
Cities in Fulton County
Fulton County has several major cities. All genealogy records for these cities are maintained at the Fulton County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Atlanta. Select a city below for local genealogy information.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Fulton County. If your ancestors moved within this area, check neighboring county records as well. County lines changed often in Georgia, so an ancestor counted in Fulton County one decade might appear in a different county the next.