Rockdale County Genealogy Search

Rockdale County genealogy records begin in 1870, when the county was formed from parts of Henry and Newton counties. The Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Conyers maintain marriage licenses, wills, estate files, land deeds, and court records. Rockdale is one of Georgia's smaller counties by land area, but its records are well preserved and the courthouse staff in Conyers can help you track down the documents you need for family research.

Rockdale County Probate Court Genealogy

The Rockdale County Probate Court is the primary source for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses date back to 1870. 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, and marriage licenses in Rockdale County.

The courthouse is at 922 Court Street, Conyers, GA 30012. Call 770-278-7900 for record requests. You can visit in person during business hours to search records. Staff can look up names and give cost estimates before you commit to paying. Copies run $1 per page for regular copies and about $11 for certified copies. For mail requests, send a letter with the full name, approximate date, and type of record you need along with a check or money order.

Since Rockdale County was carved from Henry and Newton counties in 1870, any records before that year for families in this area will be found in those parent counties. This is a common situation in Georgia genealogy. Always check the parent county when records seem to start too late for your research timeline.

Note: Pre-1870 records for the Rockdale County area are split between Henry County and Newton County courthouses.

Vital Records for Rockdale County Genealogy

Georgia started statewide vital records in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. Birth and death certificates from 1919 to the present are on file at the Rockdale County Health Department. Before 1919, there are no systematic birth or death records for this county. You will need to rely on census data, church records, cemetery inscriptions, and family Bibles for that earlier period.

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 widely available and are generally 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 or visit the local health department in Conyers.

For death records between 1919 and 1943, the Georgia Archives Virtual Vault has free online access. FamilySearch also has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 indexed at no cost. These are good starting points for early 1900s Rockdale County genealogy.

Note: Marriage records from 1952 to 1996 were also filed at the state level, giving you two places to check for that time span.

Rockdale County Land and Court Records

The Rockdale County Superior Court Clerk holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal case records from 1870 forward. Land deeds show where your ancestors lived and who their neighbors were. They often name family members in the transaction. Deed books and plat maps are open to the public under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, the Georgia Open Records Act.

Divorce records are another useful source for genealogy. These files often list children, property, and ages that help confirm family links. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, copy fees from public agencies are capped at 10 cents per page for standard letter or legal size documents. Court records may have slightly different fee structures set by local rules, so ask the clerk about costs before you place a large order.

Property tax digests are also held by the Superior Court. These list heads of household along with land values and personal property. They can fill in gaps where census records are missing or damaged.

Rockdale County GAGenWeb Genealogy

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

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

Other free online tools for Rockdale 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 also has death certificates from 1919 to 1943 that you can search for free.

Research Tips for Rockdale County Genealogy

Start with what you know. Write down all the names, dates, and places you have for your Rockdale County family. Then work backward one generation at a time. Census records are often the best next step once you have basic family facts in hand.

Federal census data is available from 1820 to 1940 at the Georgia Archives through Ancestry.com, free in the search room. The 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 federal census records for Georgia were destroyed. For those missing years, use tax digests to find where your ancestors lived. The 1850 census was the first to list every household member by name and age. Since Rockdale County did not exist until 1870, check Henry and Newton county census records for earlier decades.

Pre-1900 Rockdale County records are on microfilm at the Georgia Archives at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. The 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. For records after 1900, contact the courthouse in Conyers directly.

• 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 Vanishing Georgia collection for historical photos
• Review estate records when birth or death dates are unknown

Note: County lines changed often in Georgia. Use the Virtual Vault "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" tool to see which county your ancestors were counted in for any given year.

Cities in Rockdale County

Rockdale County's main city is Conyers, the county seat. All genealogy records for cities in Rockdale County are maintained at the Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Conyers. No cities in Rockdale County meet the population threshold for a separate city page.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Rockdale County. If your ancestors moved within the area east of Atlanta, check neighboring county records as well. Rockdale was formed from Henry and Newton counties, so those are especially important for pre-1870 research.