Georgia Divorce Certificate Online Application

Divorce Decree vs. Certificate of Divorce in Georgia

A Georgia divorce decree is the court's final judgment ending the marriage. It’s issued through the Superior Court and forms part of the official court case file.

If another government agency, employer, financial institution, or other organization asks for a certified divorce record, it may specifically require a certified copy of the final divorce decree rather than a simple verification that a divorce took place.

Georgia's State Office of Vital Records can confirm qualifying divorces, but the state makes clear that copies of the actual divorce records are held by the county Superior Court clerk.

Before submitting your request, check exactly which document is required:

Requesting the correct document the first time can help avoid paying for a copy that does not meet the receiving organization's requirements.

Who Can Request a Divorce Certificate in Georgia?

Georgia court records are generally open for public inspection unless access has been restricted by law or by a court order. The Uniform Superior Court Rules state that court records are public unless an applicable restriction limits access.

This means a person may generally request available divorce court records from the Clerk of Superior Court. However, individual documents or information within a family-law case may be sealed, redacted, or otherwise protected.

When preparing a request, you may be asked to provide information such as:

Access rules and request procedures can vary by county. If a particular record has been sealed or otherwise restricted, the clerk may be unable to release it without additional authorization.

How to Request Your Georgia Divorce Records Online

To obtain a Georgia divorce certificate or certified divorce decree, first identify the county where the divorce was granted. You’ll usually request the record through that county's Clerk of Superior Court.

Georgia Courts provides online access links for court records in many counties, although the exact search and ordering system varies by court.

Participating counties may also allow you to request electronically certified court documents through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority eCertification Portal. The system allows users to select a participating county, submit a document request, pay the applicable charge, and receive the certified document electronically after processing.

Not every county uses exactly the same online system, so confirm the available ordering methods with the Clerk of Superior Court that holds your divorce record.

Processing Through the Georgia Superior Court

Divorce cases in Georgia are handled by the Superior Court. Georgia's official divorce guidance directs individuals filing a divorce to the Clerk of Superior Court, and completed divorce records remain associated with the court where the case was handled.

Fees for obtaining copies are set according to applicable court rules and local procedures, so the total cost can depend on the county, number of pages, and whether you request a plain or certified copy.

For example, the Fulton County Clerk of Superior Court currently charges $2.50 for the first page of a certified or exemplified copy and $0.50 for each additional page. Other Georgia counties may use different processes or applicable charges.

Processing times can also vary depending on the court, age of the case, completeness of your request, and whether the record is readily available electronically or must be retrieved from archived files.

Serving All Georgia Superior Courts (Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb & More)

Georgia divorce records may be held by Superior Court clerks throughout the state's 159 counties. If you know where the divorce was granted, contact that county's Clerk of Superior Court first.

Georgia Courts also maintains an electronic court-record access directory covering Superior Courts across the state. The availability of online searches and electronic document requests varies by county.

If you don’t know which county handled the divorce, a Georgia divorce verification may help locate qualifying records from the period covered by the State Office of Vital Records.