Search Union County Genealogy

Union County genealogy records go back to 1832, when the county was created from Cherokee County following the removal of the Cherokee Nation. The Probate Court in Blairsville holds marriage licenses, wills, estate files, and guardianship records spanning nearly two centuries. The Clerk of Superior Court keeps land deeds, divorce files, and civil case records. Union County is nestled in the north Georgia mountains near the North Carolina and Tennessee borders. Families in this region often moved across state lines, so checking records in neighboring states can be worthwhile. The courthouse in Blairsville is the main stop for local genealogy work.

Union County Probate Court Records

The Union County Probate Court is the main source for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses go back to 1832. The court also keeps wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. These records are essential for tracing family lines in Union County.

You can visit the courthouse at 65 Courthouse Street in Blairsville to search in person. The court also takes requests by mail. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment by check or money order. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses. Certified copies cost $2.50 for the first page and $0.50 for each page after that. Call ahead to check current fees.

Birth and death certificates from 1919 forward are also available through the Probate Court. The first copy costs $25. Each extra copy is $5. These are statewide fees.

Union County Superior Court Genealogy

The Union County Clerk of Superior Court holds land records, divorce files, and civil case records from 1832 to the present. Land deeds are a rich genealogy source in this mountain county. They show property transfers between family members and reveal the settlement patterns of early Union County residents.

Divorce records often list children, property, and ages. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Georgia are public. You can request copies in person or by mail from the courthouse in Blairsville. The clerk also maintains voter rolls and tax digests from various periods.

Tax digests are useful for the years when census records are missing. Georgia lost its 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 federal census data. Union County tax records from those periods help fill gaps in family research. Civil case files with estate disputes and property lawsuits often name multiple family members.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the Open Records Act caps copy fees at 10 cents per page for standard documents.

Vital Records for Union County Genealogy

Georgia did not start statewide vital records until 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. For Union County births and deaths before that year, check the Probate Court, church records, cemetery transcriptions, and family Bibles. Mountain communities often kept good church records that can substitute for missing vital records.

Birth certificates from 1919 onward are available from the Georgia Department of Public Health or the Union County Probate Court. 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 and are easier to get.

The Georgia Virtual Vault has death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online for free. FamilySearch.org also has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 indexed at no cost. These free databases are solid starting points for Union County genealogy.

Union County GAGenWeb Resources

The Union County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy resource with cemetery transcriptions, census data, and family trees shared by other researchers.

This site connects you with other people working on Union County family lines. Volunteers post records from courthouses, libraries, and archives across Georgia.

Other free online resources 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, legal notices, and family announcements that may help with Union County research.

Genealogy Research Tips for Union County

Start with what you know. Write down names, dates, and places. Then work backward one generation at a time.

Census records are a great next step. Federal census data from 1840 to 1940 covers Union County. The 1850 census was the first to list every household member by name and age. For years when census records are missing, use Union County tax digests. The Georgia Archives at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260 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.

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

• Check cemetery records when vital records are missing
• Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
• Look at Family Bible records on microfilm at the Georgia Archives
• Use the Vanishing Georgia photo collection for historical images
• Review estate records for family connections and property details

Union County borders North Carolina and is close to Tennessee. Mountain families moved freely across state lines. If you lose track of an ancestor here, check Clay County, NC or Fannin County, GA. The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help you track county lines over time.

Note: Pre-1900 Union County records are on microfilm at the Georgia Archives in Morrow. Post-1900 records are only at the Blairsville courthouse.

Cities in Union County

Blairsville is the county seat and largest city in Union County. All genealogy records for cities in this county are maintained at the Union County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Blairsville. No cities in Union County meet the population threshold for a separate city page.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Union County in the north Georgia mountains. If your ancestors moved within this region, check neighboring county records. Mountain families often crossed county and state lines.