Lincoln County Genealogy Records

Lincoln County genealogy records go back to 1796, the year the county was formed from Wilkes County. The Probate Court in Lincolnton holds marriage licenses, wills, estate files, and guardianship records from that year. Land deeds and court records also date to 1796. The courthouse at 210 E. South Main Street in Lincolnton is where most genealogy research begins. Lincoln County is a small, rural county in eastern Georgia along the South Carolina border, and its early records are a strong resource for tracing families in this region.

Lincoln County Probate Court Records

The Lincoln County Probate Court is the main source for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses start in 1796. The court also holds 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 Lincoln County.

You can visit the courthouse at 210 E. South Main Street in Lincolnton to search in person. The phone number is 706-359-5505. For mail requests, include a written request with full names and dates, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check or money order. Staff can do basic lookups.

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

Lincoln County records from 1796 are among the older collections in eastern Georgia. The early marriage and estate records are essential for genealogy research in this area.

Lincoln County Genealogy Records Online

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

Volunteers post records they find at courthouses, cemeteries, and archives. You might find that someone has already transcribed the Lincoln County records you need.

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

Lincoln County Superior Court Genealogy

The Lincoln County Clerk of Superior Court holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal case records from 1796. Land deeds are a strong genealogy source. They show property transfers, name neighbors, and sometimes list family members as witnesses or heirs. Deed books in Lincoln County span over 225 years.

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 Lincolnton.

Estate disputes, civil lawsuits, and guardianship cases name family members. These records fill in gaps when vital records are unavailable.

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

The Georgia Virtual Vault has death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online for free. FamilySearch has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 indexed at no cost.

Research Tips for Lincoln 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 Lincoln County starts in 1800. The 1790 and 1890 censuses for Georgia were destroyed. Tax digests help fill those gaps.

Pre-1900 Lincoln 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
• Review Family Bible records at the Georgia Archives
• Use the Georgia Historic Newspapers for obituaries
• Look at estate and guardianship records for family details

Lincoln County was carved from Wilkes County. For records before 1796, check Wilkes County. Lincoln County also borders South Carolina, so families may have crossed state lines. The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help track where your family was counted. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, copy fees from public agencies are capped at 10 cents per page.

Cities in Lincoln County

Lincoln County includes Lincolnton and a few small communities. All genealogy records are maintained at the Lincoln County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Lincolnton. No cities in Lincoln County meet the population threshold for individual city pages.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Lincoln County. Families in eastern Georgia often crossed county and state lines, so check neighboring records.