Search Polk County Genealogy

Polk County genealogy records date back to 1851, the year the county was formed from Paulding and Floyd counties. The Probate Court in Cedartown holds marriage licenses, wills, estate files, and guardianship records. Polk County is in northwest Georgia near the Alabama state line. The Superior Court Clerk keeps land deeds, divorce records, and civil case files. Nearly 175 years of records are stored at the courthouse at 100 Prior Street in Cedartown, giving researchers a deep well of documents for tracing family lines in this part of Georgia.

Polk County Probate Court Records

The Polk County Probate Court is the main source for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses date from 1851 to the present. The court also keeps wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. The courthouse is at 100 Prior Street in Cedartown.

Marriage records from the 1850s are among the oldest at the Polk County Probate Court. A marriage license gives names, ages, and often parents of the couple. Estate records are just as useful for genealogy. When someone died, the court filed a will or appointed an administrator. These documents list heirs, property, and debts. Annual returns and inventories track what an estate was worth from year to year. Guardianship records are valuable when children lost parents. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court handles wills, estates, guardianships, and marriage licenses in Polk County.

You can visit in person or send requests by mail. Include the full name, approximate dates, and the type of record you need. A self-addressed stamped envelope helps speed up the process.

Note: Call the Probate Court before visiting to confirm hours and record availability.

Polk County Superior Court Genealogy

The Polk County Superior Court Clerk holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal case records from 1851 forward. Deed books show property transfers between family members. Plat maps show property lines and locations. Divorce records often include children's names and ages. Civil cases reveal disputes that may identify relatives.

Land records matter for Polk County genealogy. Families often passed land down through generations, and each sale or transfer shows up in the deed books. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records are open to the public. Visit the clerk's office in Cedartown or send a mail request. For records before 1851, check Paulding County and Floyd County since Polk was formed from those two.

Note: The 1832 Cherokee Land Lottery records may cover parts of what became Polk County and are available at the Georgia Archives.

Vital Records for Polk County Genealogy

Birth and death certificates for Polk County are available from 1919 to the present. Georgia started its statewide registration system that year under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. Before 1919, no official vital records exist for Polk County. Use church records, cemetery records, and family Bibles for earlier dates.

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 are more freely available for genealogy. Certified copies cost $25 for the first and $5 for each extra. The Virtual Vault has free death certificates from 1919 to 1943. FamilySearch has indexed Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943.

Polk County GAGenWeb Genealogy

The Polk County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy resource with cemetery transcriptions, census data, and family records.

Volunteers post courthouse records, library finds, and personal collections here. It is a good place to start before making a trip to Cedartown. The site also connects you with other researchers working on Polk County lines.

Other free resources include Georgia Historic Newspapers, with over one million pages of digitized Georgia papers. The Georgia Archives in Morrow has pre-1900 Polk County records on microfilm. Free access to Ancestry.com and FamilySearch is available in their search room.

Genealogy Tips for Polk County

Start with what you know. Write down all names, dates, and places for your Polk County family. Then work backward one generation at a time. Census records are the natural next step.

Federal census data from 1860 to 1940 is available at the Georgia Archives through Ancestry.com, free in their search room. The 1860 census is the first to list Polk County since it was formed in 1851. The 1890 census was destroyed. For that decade, use tax digests. Pre-1900 records are on microfilm at the Georgia Archives, 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

• Check Paulding County and Floyd County for records before 1851
• Search cemetery records when vital records are missing
• Look at church records for baptisms and burials
• Review estate records for heir lists and property details
• Use the Vanishing Georgia collection for historical photos

Polk County sits near the Alabama border. Some families crossed state lines, so check Alabama records too if your trail goes cold. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, copy fees from Georgia public agencies are capped at 10 cents per page for standard documents.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Polk County. Families often moved across county lines in northwest Georgia. Check neighboring records if your research hits a wall in Polk County.