Georgia Court Records
How Georgia's courts are organized, where their records are kept and how to search them.
Georgia has 159 counties, more than any state except Texas, and a court system with several kinds of trial courts in each county. Records are kept locally by the clerk of each court, and there is no single free search across the state.
Georgia's superior court clerks do run a strong statewide system for real estate and lien records, and a growing number of courts make e-filed case documents available through a statewide search service.
How Georgia's courts are organized
Georgia's trial courts are split by subject and seriousness, and most counties have five or more distinct courts.
Supreme Court of Georgia
Nine justices hear murder and death penalty appeals, constitutional challenges, election contests and cases on certiorari from the Court of Appeals.
Court of Appeals of Georgia
Hears most other appeals from the trial courts.
Superior courts
The general jurisdiction trial courts, organized into judicial circuits. They have exclusive jurisdiction over felonies, divorce, land title and equity cases. The clerk of superior court in each county keeps these records along with real estate records.
State courts
Created in many counties to hear misdemeanors, traffic and civil cases of any amount (except those reserved to superior court).
Probate, magistrate, juvenile and municipal courts
Probate courts handle wills, estates, guardianships and marriage and firearms licenses. Magistrate courts hear small claims, evictions, warrants and minor offenses. Juvenile courts handle delinquency and dependency. Municipal courts hear city ordinance and traffic cases.
Georgia State-wide Business Court
A statewide court created in 2020 for complex business disputes.
Searching Georgia court records online
Online access depends on the county. Check re:SearchGA and the county clerk's own website.
- re:SearchGAA statewide search of e-filed cases in participating Georgia courts. Basic searches are free with an account; viewing documents may require a paid plan.
- Supreme Court of Georgia docket searchFree case information for Supreme Court appeals.
- Court of Appeals of Georgia docketFree case information for Court of Appeals cases.
- GSCCCAThe superior court clerks' statewide system for deeds, liens and UCC filings.
Getting records from the clerk's office
Contact the clerk of the court that heard the case. Felony, divorce and other superior court files come from the clerk of superior court; misdemeanor and civil files may be with the state court clerk; and estates come from the probate court. In some smaller counties, one clerk serves both superior and state courts.
Most clerks provide copies and certified copies for a set per-page fee and accept mail requests. Many county clerks offer their own online case search.
- Georgia Courts: eAccess to court recordsThe Judicial Council's guide to online access to Georgia court records, county by county.
What is public, and what is not
Georgia court records are presumed open, and Uniform Superior Court Rule 21 sets a strict standard for sealing civil records. Juvenile, adoption and certain mental health records are confidential. Note that Georgia's Open Records Act does not apply to court records; access is governed by court rules and case law.
Georgia uses record restriction rather than expungement. A restricted record is hidden from most employers and the public but stays available to law enforcement. Since 2021, some misdemeanor convictions can also be restricted after a waiting period.
- Georgia Legal Aid: Record restrictionPlain-language guides to restricting criminal records in Georgia.
Older and archived records
Many Georgia counties keep their superior court minutes and case files permanently. Older records have often been microfilmed, and the Georgia Archives holds microfilm of county court records and some original files.
- Georgia ArchivesHistorical state and county records, including court minutes and dockets.
Criminal history and background records
A court file tells you what happened in one case in one court. A criminal history record (often called a rap sheet) pulls together arrests, charges and outcomes reported from across the state, so it is a different product kept by a different agency.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation keeps the state's criminal history files through the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC). The public can search felony convictions statewide.
- Georgia Felon SearchGBI's public, name-based search of Georgia felony convictions for a fee.
- Georgia sex offender registryPublic search of registered sex offenders.
- Georgia Department of Corrections offender searchFind people in Georgia state prisons.
Federal court records in Georgia
Federal cases, including federal crimes, bankruptcies, and lawsuits over federal law or between citizens of different states, are not filed in Georgia's state courts. Georgia is divided into 3 federal judicial districts, and each has its own clerk's office:
Federal case files are searched through PACER, the federal judiciary's records system. PACER charges a small fee per page, but you pay nothing if your charges stay under the quarterly fee-waiver threshold, court opinions are free, and every federal courthouse has public terminals you can use at no cost. Many PACER documents have also been copied into the free RECAP Archive on CourtListener. Appeals from Georgia's federal courts go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Tips for a faster search
- In larger metro counties, misdemeanors are often in state court, not superior court. Search both.
- Restricted records will not appear in public searches. If a case seems to have disappeared, it may have been restricted.
- Real estate records are statewide through GSCCCA, which can help confirm which county someone owned property in.
- Have the full names of the parties, the county and a rough date range ready. A case number is the fastest way in if you have one.
- Online indexes are not the official record. If a decision depends on it, get a copy (or a certified copy) from the clerk's office that holds the file.
Legal help and law libraries
Clerks and law librarians can explain how to find a record, but they cannot give legal advice. These organizations can point you in the right direction:
- Georgia Legal AidFree legal information and a directory of help.
- Georgia Legal Services ProgramCivil legal aid for people outside metro Atlanta.
This guide is general information about public records, not legal advice. Court websites, fees and rules change, so confirm details with the court before you rely on them. Civics-Online.org is not affiliated with any court or government agency.