Heard County Genealogy Search

Heard County genealogy records go back to 1830, the year the county was created from parts of Carroll, Coweta, and Troup counties. The Probate Court in Franklin holds marriage licenses, wills, estate files, and guardianship records from 1830. Land deeds and court records also date to that year. The courthouse at 215 E. Court Square in Franklin is the starting point for record searches. Heard County is a small, rural county in western Georgia near the Alabama line, and its records offer a clear window into early settlement and family life in this part of the state.

Heard County Probate Court Records

The Heard County Probate Court is the primary source for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses date to 1830. The court also keeps wills, letters of administration, guardianship records, and estate inventories. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses in Heard County.

You can visit the courthouse at 215 E. Court Square in Franklin to search in person. The phone number is 706-675-3353. Mail requests are accepted. Send a written request with full names and dates, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check or money order for fees. The court staff can do basic lookups but may not handle long research requests.

Birth and death certificates from 1919 forward are available at the Probate Court. Certified copies cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each extra copy. Every county in Georgia charges the same rates.

Heard County was carved from Carroll, Coweta, and Troup counties. For records before 1830, check those parent counties.

Heard County Genealogy Records Online

The Georgia Probate Courts Directory lists contact details and office information for every county probate court in the state, including Heard County.

From this directory you can find the current address, phone, and hours for the Heard County Probate Court in Franklin.

You can also search Heard County court records through the state's E-Access to Court Records system. Registration is free. Basic case data is available at no charge. Document viewing costs $2.50 for the first page and $1.00 for each page after that.

Heard County Superior Court Genealogy

The Heard County Clerk of Superior Court holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal court records from 1830. Land deeds show property transfers, neighbors, and family ties. They are one of the best tools for genealogy when vital records are not available for your time period.

Divorce records often list children, property, 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 from the clerk in Franklin.

Civil lawsuits and estate disputes name multiple family members. If vital records are thin for your era, check civil court files. They can turn up names and dates you will not find anywhere else.

Vital Records for Heard 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 Heard County Probate Court or the Georgia Department of Public Health. Certified copies cost $25 for the first and $5 for each additional copy.

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, try 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 indexed Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 at no cost.

Research Tips for Heard County

Start with what you know and work backward. Census records are a natural next step. Federal census data for Heard County begins in 1840. The 1890 census was destroyed. Use tax digests for years when census data is missing.

Pre-1900 Heard 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, and Fold3 is available in the search room.

• Check cemetery records when vital records are missing
• Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
• Look at Family Bible records at the Georgia Archives
• Use the Georgia Historic Newspapers for obituaries and legal notices
• Review estate and guardianship records for family details

Heard County sits near the Alabama border. Families moved back and forth across state lines. If your search stalls in Heard County, check Randolph County, Alabama records. The Virtual Vault has boundary change maps. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, copy fees from public agencies are capped at 10 cents per page for standard documents.

Cities in Heard County

Heard County includes Franklin, Centralhatchee, and Ephesus. All genealogy records are maintained at the Heard County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Franklin. No cities in Heard County meet the population threshold for individual city pages.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Heard County. Families in western Georgia often crossed county lines, so check these records as well.