Richmond County Genealogy Records

Richmond County genealogy records date back to 1777, making it one of the oldest counties in Georgia with some of the deepest archival holdings in the state. The Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Augusta hold marriage records from 1785, probate files from 1782, land deeds from 1778, and court records from 1782. Augusta also has a strong network of genealogy resources, from the Georgia Heritage Room at the public library to the Augusta Genealogical Society. Researchers tracing family lines in east Georgia will find a rich collection of documents here.

Richmond County Probate Court Records

The Richmond County Probate Court is the main source for marriage and estate records used in genealogy research. Marriage records here go back to 1785. The court also holds wills from 1777 to 1957, estate inventories, guardianship files, and letters of administration. These are some of the oldest probate records in the state. If your family lived in the Augusta area during the colonial or early national period, this is where you start your search.

The courthouse is at 530 Green Street, Augusta, GA 30911-0001. You can call 706-821-2460 for help with record requests. Staff can check for specific names and give you a cost estimate before you pay. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has full jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, and marriage licenses in Richmond County. Copies of records cost $1 per page, and certified copies run about $11 each. Walk-in visitors can search records during normal business hours.

For mail requests, send a letter with the full name, approximate date, and type of record you need. Include a check or money order for the search fee. The staff will let you know if they find the record and how much the copies will cost.

Note: Probate records from 1782 to about 1900 are also available on microfilm at the Georgia Archives in Morrow.

Vital Records for Richmond County Genealogy

Richmond County has some early vital records that predate the statewide system. The Richmond County Health Department Vital Records office at 1916 North Leg Street, Augusta, GA 30904 holds death records from 1904 to the present for the city of Augusta. Birth and death certificates from 1919 onward are also on file there. Call 706-667-4335 to request records or ask about fees.

Georgia did not start statewide vital records until 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. That means for births and deaths before that year, you need to look at county-level sources. Richmond County death records going back to 1904 are a real help for genealogy work, since most Georgia counties have nothing before 1919. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates are only available to the person named on the record, parents, grandparents, adult siblings, adult children, spouses, or legal guardians. Death certificates are more widely available and are the easier vital record to get for genealogy purposes.

The state charges $25 for a birth or death certificate, plus $5 for each extra copy. You can order through the Georgia Department of Public Health office in Atlanta, or visit the local health department in Augusta.

Note: Marriage records from 1952 to 1996 were also filed at the state level with the Georgia Department of Public Health, so you have two places to check for that time period.

Richmond County Genealogy at the Georgia Heritage Room

The Augusta-Richmond County Public Library Georgia Heritage Room is one of the best genealogy research facilities in east Georgia. It sits at 823 Telfair Street, Augusta, GA 30901. The phone number is (706) 821-2600. This room holds a deep collection of local and state genealogy resources that can fill in gaps you might not find at the courthouse.

The Augusta-Richmond County Public Library Georgia Heritage Room has an impressive range of materials for Richmond County genealogy research.

This page shows the types of genealogy collections and research tools available at the Georgia Heritage Room in Augusta.

Resources at the Georgia Heritage Room include the Elliot Funeral Home Index, family and county histories, cemetery indexes, Augusta City Directories from 1841 to the present, Civil War rosters, Revolutionary War Pension Applications index, Colonial Records of Georgia, Georgia Death and Marriage indexes, and local yearbooks. The room also provides access to Ancestry Library Edition, Heritage Quest, and serves as a FamilySearch Affiliate Library. The Augusta Chronicle newspaper archive goes back to 1792, which is useful for finding obituaries, legal notices, and family announcements.

• Elliot Funeral Home Index and cemetery indexes
• Augusta City Directories from 1841 to present
• Civil War rosters and Revolutionary War Pension Applications
• Colonial Records of Georgia
• Ancestry Library Edition and Heritage Quest access

Note: The Georgia Heritage Room is a FamilySearch Affiliate Library, which means you can access some FamilySearch microfilm collections there that are not available online.

Augusta Genealogical Society and Richmond County Records

The Augusta Genealogical Society is based at 1058 Claussen Road, Suite 108, Augusta, GA 30909. You can reach them at (706) 722-4073. This group has been helping people trace Richmond County family lines for decades. They hold meetings, publish research, and maintain collections of local genealogy data that you will not find anywhere else.

Joining a local genealogy society is one of the smartest moves you can make when researching a specific county. Members often have personal knowledge of Richmond County families, cemetery locations, and record sources that never made it into any database. The society can also point you to private collections and family papers that are not held at the courthouse or library.

Richmond County Land and Court Genealogy

The Richmond County Superior Court Clerk holds land records from 1778 to the present and court records from 1782 onward. Land deeds are some of the most useful genealogy tools because they show where your ancestors lived, who their neighbors were, and often name family members in the transaction. Deed books, plat maps, and old court minutes can help piece together your family's story in the Augusta area.

Divorce records are filed with the Superior Court as well. These files often list children, property, ages, and birth dates that help confirm family connections. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Richmond County are open to the public. The Georgia Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71 caps copy fees at 10 cents per page for standard letter or legal size documents from public agencies, though court records may have different fee structures set by local rules.

For land records before 1900, the Georgia Archives in Morrow also has microfilm copies. Property tax digests are another useful source. These list heads of household along with the value of their land and other property. Tax digests from 1785 to 1799 are available in the Virtual Vault online.

Richmond County GAGenWeb Genealogy

The Richmond County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy site. It has cemetery transcriptions, census data, family trees, and other records shared by researchers working on Richmond County lines.

This site connects you with other people researching Richmond County families. Volunteers post records they have found at courthouses, libraries, and archives around the state.

Other free online resources for Richmond 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 and legal notices. The Virtual Vault from the Georgia Archives has death certificates from 1919 to 1943 available for free online searching.

Genealogy Research Tips for Richmond County

Start with what you know. Write down all the names, dates, and places you already have for your Richmond County family. Then work backward one generation at a time. Census records are often the best next step after you have gathered basic family information.

Federal census data is available from 1820 to 1940 at the Georgia Archives through Ancestry.com, which is free in the search room. Keep in mind that the 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 federal census records for Georgia were lost or destroyed. For those gaps, use Richmond 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, so it is a key record for mid-1800s research.

Pre-1900 Richmond County records are available on microfilm at the Georgia Archives at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. For records after 1900, you need to go to the courthouse in Augusta. The Georgia Archives is 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.

Note: Georgia has 159 counties, and borders shifted often in the 1800s. Use the Virtual Vault resource "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to check which county your ancestors were counted in for any given year.

Cities in Richmond County

Richmond County and the City of Augusta consolidated into a single government in 1996. All genealogy records for the area are maintained at the Richmond County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Augusta.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Richmond County. If your ancestors moved within the Augusta area, check neighboring county records too. County lines changed often in Georgia, so an ancestor in Richmond County one decade might appear in a different county the next.