Ware County Genealogy Lookup

Ware County genealogy records date to 1824, when the county was created in southeast Georgia. The Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Waycross maintain marriage records, wills, estate files, land deeds, and court cases that span two centuries of local history. Ware County is one of the larger counties in the state by land area, and Waycross has long been a regional hub. The courthouse on Church Street holds the primary documents for anyone tracing family roots in this part of Georgia.

Ware County Probate Court Records

The Ware County Probate Court is the main office for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses date back to 1824. The court also holds wills, letters of administration, estate inventories, guardianship files, and apprenticeship records. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has full authority over these record types in every Georgia county, including Ware.

You can visit the courthouse in person or send a request by mail. Include the full name of the individual, the type of record, and an approximate date range. A self-addressed stamped envelope helps speed up the process. Copy fees are usually $1 per page, but certified copies cost more. Call the clerk to confirm exact fees before mailing your request. Ware County has two centuries of records, and some older documents may be stored on microfilm or in off-site storage, which can add a few days to your wait time.

Note: Ware County sits in the Waycross Judicial Circuit. The Probate Court and Superior Court share the same courthouse complex.

Vital Records for Ware County Genealogy

Georgia began recording vital statistics at the state level in 1919. For Ware County births and deaths before that year, check church records, cemetery lists, and family Bibles. The Georgia Archives has some early Ware County records on microfilm. Death certificates from 1919 to 1943 are free online through the Virtual Vault and FamilySearch.

Birth certificates from the state cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for additional copies. Death certificates have the same fee structure. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates go only to the named person, parents, grandparents, adult siblings, adult children, spouses, or legal guardians. Death certificates are available more broadly, which makes them a better starting point for genealogy.

Ware County marriage records start in 1824. The Probate Court is the source for these. State marriage records cover only 1952 to 1996. For anything outside that range, you need the county. Contact the Georgia Department of Public Health for state-level vital records.

Note: FamilySearch has indexed Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943, which may include Ware County entries not found in the Virtual Vault.

Ware County Superior Court Genealogy

The Ware County Superior Court Clerk maintains land records, divorce cases, and civil and criminal files dating to 1824. Deed books and plat maps show property transfers that can help you trace where your ancestors lived. Divorce records sometimes include children's names, ages, and property descriptions. These details help confirm family connections when other sources are incomplete.

Most court records in Ware County are public under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70. You can visit the clerk's office in Waycross during regular business hours. Land records are organized in deed books with grantor and grantee indexes. Civil case files sometimes mention family relationships that are not found in any other document.

Ware County GAGenWeb Genealogy

The Ware County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy resource. It includes cemetery transcriptions, census data, family trees, and other records shared by researchers with ties to Ware County.

Volunteers on this site post records from courthouses, libraries, and archives across Georgia. It is a good place to connect with other people researching Ware County family lines.

The Georgia Historic Newspapers archive has over one million pages of old papers with obituaries, legal notices, and announcements. FamilySearch provides free access to Georgia marriages from 1754 to 1960 and probate records from 1742 to 1990. Both databases can help with Ware County research.

Ware County Records at Georgia Archives

The Georgia Archives in Morrow has pre-1900 Ware County records on microfilm. These include marriage records, estate files, deed books, and court minutes. The search room gives you free access to Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Fold3. Federal census records for Ware County run from 1830 through 1940, with the 1890 census missing due to fire.

The Georgia Archives is at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Staff can guide you to the right microfilm reels and help with difficult searches. The 1850 census is especially useful for Ware County genealogy because it was the first to list every household member by name and age. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, copy fees at public agencies are capped at 10 cents per page for standard documents.

Genealogy Research Tips for Ware County

Start with what you know. List all names, dates, and places for your Ware County family. Then work backward one generation at a time. Census records are usually the next step. Ware County appears in federal census data starting in 1830.

Ware County was created in 1824 from Appling and Irwin counties. If your family was in this part of southeast Georgia before 1824, look in those counties. Georgia has 159 counties and borders changed often. The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" which tracks these changes year by year. This tool is free and very helpful for placing ancestors in the right county at the right time.

• Check cemetery records when vital records are not available
• Search church registers for baptisms, weddings, and burials
• Use Family Bible records at the Georgia Archives
• Look at the Vanishing Georgia photo collection for Ware County images
• Review estate records when dates of birth or death are unknown

Cities in Ware County

Ware County includes Waycross, the county seat and largest city. All genealogy records for communities in Ware County are maintained at the Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Waycross. No cities in Ware County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page, but the county courthouse handles all requests.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Ware County. Ancestors who lived near county lines may appear in records from more than one county. Check neighboring records if your search in Ware County comes up short.