Georgia Free Public Records Directory

Georgia, at over 59,000 square miles, is the largest state east of the Mississippi River and the 24th largest state overall. It ranks 8th in population with over ten million residents, but its relatively large size makes it the 18th most densely populated state. Georgia is bordered by Florida on the south, Alabama on the west, Tennessee and North Carolina on the north, and South Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Its capital - and largest city by far – is Atlanta; other large cities include Columbus, Augusta, Macon, and Savannah. Georgia’s climate is humid subtropical, with hot, wet summers and mild winters; temperatures in the mountainous northern part of the state are cooler. Average monthly temperatures range from lows in the mid-30s to highs in the low 90s.

Founded as a British colony in 1733 and named after King George II, Georgia was the last of the original 13 Colonies. It signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and was the fourth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1788. Like the other Southern states, Georgia’s early economy was based on plantations; by the time of the Civil War, slaves made up nearly half of the state’s population. After joining the Confederacy, Georgia was the site of several major Civil War battles. Atlanta was burned nearly to the ground. Today, Georgia’s economy is diverse and includes services, corporate headquarters, transportation, information technology, and manufacturing. Atlanta is a major rail hub, and its Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the world’s busiest. The Port of Savannah is the fourth largest in North America. Georgia is ranked as the #1 state in which to do business, #14 in overall economy, #13 in fiscal stability, and #1 in government credit rating score.

The state’s economic success gives it one of its nicknames: Empire State of the South. Agriculture is still important, let by poultry, nuts, peaches, livestock, tobacco, and timber. Its famous peaches give it its other nickname: The Peach State.

Georgia has 159 counties, second only to Texas’s 254. Most counties are small, and many have only one city. All incorporated municipalities in Georgia are called cities, regardless of size. There are no other local government entities besides counties and cities, and all counties and cities have home rule authority. Most of Georgia’s major cities have formed consolidated city-county governments with their counties. With its long history and many local governments, Georgia has a wealth or public records. To find them, visit our directory below of all types, including certified copies, official records, and public records request procedures.

Abbreviation	GA
Capital	Atlanta
Population	10,429,379 (2017 est.)
Area size	59,425 sq. mi
Demonym	Georgian
Primary languages spoken	English
Governor	Nathan Deal
Lieutenant Governor	Casey Cagle
U.S. Senators	Johnny Isakson, David Perdue
U.S. House Delegation	10 Republicans, 4 Democrats
Time Zone	Eastern: UTC -5/-4

*The map and data in the table are from Wikipedia.

Browse by Public Record Category

There are two types of public records: 1) personal public records that document major life milestones such as birth certificates, death certificates, divorce records, and marriage records, etc.; and 2) government records that are made public such as property tax records, recorded land records, voter records, crime data, jail inmate records, and court records. The Freedom of Information Act is a national law that releases government agency public records and makes it possible to view most public records. Since there are a multitude of records available, it can be difficult to know how or where to access them.

Georgia’s first public records act was passed in 1959 and has been amended several times. Its definition of records is very broad, it requires agencies to respond within 3 days – much shorter than most states – and its exclusions are narrow. The Georgia Attorney General’s Office has a website devoted to the law, with instructions for making an open records request, information about a mediation program, and a link to an online complaint form.

When you are ready to start your search, you’ll find our Public Records Directory website easy to use since all of the records can be searched by federal, state, county, city, town, or type of record. The links provided will connect you to the best website for the record search, provide details about the record, or provide contact information for those records without search capabilities.