Search Liberty County Genealogy

Liberty County genealogy records reach back to 1777, making it one of the original counties created when Georgia became a state. The Probate Court in Hinesville holds marriage licenses, wills, estate records, and guardianship files from the county's founding. Land deeds and court records also date to 1777. The courthouse at 201 S. Main Street in Hinesville is the starting point for genealogy research. Liberty County is home to Fort Stewart and the city of Hinesville. Its records span nearly 250 years of coastal Georgia family history.

Liberty County Probate Court Records

The Liberty County Probate Court is the main source for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses date to the county's founding in 1777. The court also holds wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, 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 Liberty County.

Visit the courthouse at 201 S. Main Street in Hinesville to search records in person. The phone number is 912-876-3625. For mail requests, send a written request with full names and approximate dates, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment for fees. Staff can help with basic lookups.

Birth and death certificates from 1919 forward are on file. Certified copies cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each extra copy. These fees are the same at every county office in Georgia.

Liberty County is one of Georgia's original counties. Its early records are among the oldest in the state. Some colonial-era documents may be fragile but are still available for research.

Liberty County Genealogy Records Online

The Liberty County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy resource with cemetery records, census transcriptions, and family documents shared by researchers.

Volunteers post records from courthouses, cemeteries, and archives. This is a strong resource for connecting with other researchers and finding transcribed Liberty County records.

You can also search Liberty County court records through the state's E-Access to Court Records system. Registration is free. Basic case data costs nothing to view. Document viewing is $2.50 for the first page and $1.00 for each page after that.

Liberty County Superior Court Genealogy

The Liberty County Clerk of Superior Court holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal case records dating to the colonial period. Land deeds are a key genealogy source. They show property transfers, name neighbors, and often include family members as witnesses. Liberty County deed books cover an exceptionally long period of coastal Georgia land ownership.

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 get copies in person or by mail from the clerk in Hinesville.

Civil lawsuits, estate disputes, and guardianship cases name family members and can fill gaps when vital records are unavailable. Colonial-era court records are especially valuable for early Georgia genealogy.

Vital Records for Liberty 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 Liberty 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, check church records, cemetery inscriptions, and Family Bible records. Colonial-era records may be at the Georgia Archives.

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.

Research Tips for Liberty County

Start with what you know. Write down names, dates, and places. Then work backward. Census records are a great next step. Federal census data for Liberty County starts in 1790 (though the 1790 Georgia census was destroyed). The first surviving census for Georgia is 1800.

Pre-1900 Liberty 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. Colonial and Revolutionary War era records are also held at the Georgia Archives.

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

Liberty County's Midway community was a center of colonial settlement. The Midway Church records are an important genealogy source for this area. 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.

Cities in Liberty County

Liberty County includes Hinesville, the county seat, along with Midway, Walthourville, and other communities. All genealogy records are maintained at the Liberty County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Hinesville.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Liberty County. Families along the Georgia coast often moved between counties, so check neighboring records too.