How much does a death certificate cost in Georgia?

In Georgia, the first certified copy of a death certificate costs $25. Each additional certified copy ordered at the same time costs $5. Copies ordered later (after the initial filing) also cost $25 for the first and $5 each additional from the county vital records office.

How long does it take to get a death certificate in Georgia?

The funeral home typically files the death certificate within 1–5 days. Certified copies from the county vital records office can usually be obtained within 1–2 weeks of the filing. If the cause of death is under investigation or requires an autopsy, the medical certification may be delayed, which delays the final certificate.

How many death certificates do I need in Georgia?

Most Georgia families need 6 to 10 certified copies. You'll typically need one each for: life insurance claims (each separate policy), bank and financial account closures, vehicle title transfers, real estate title transfers, Social Security notification, pension and retirement accounts, and any estate or probate proceedings. Ask your funeral home to order enough at the start — it's cheaper and faster than ordering more later.

How to Get a Death Certificate in Georgia: Cost, Where to Get It & How Many You Need

Q: Who files the death certificate in Georgia?

The funeral home is responsible for filing the death certificate with the Georgia Department of Public Health Vital Records within 5 days of the death. The funeral director works with the attending physician or medical examiner to complete the medical certification section. The family provides personal information about the deceased.

Who Files the Death Certificate in Georgia?

In Georgia, the funeral home is legally responsible for filing the death certificate with the Georgia Department of Public Health Vital Records unit. The funeral director coordinates with the attending physician, hospice nurse, or medical examiner to complete the medical certification portion — cause of death, manner of death, and contributing conditions.

Your job as the family is to provide the personal information section: full legal name, date and place of birth, Social Security number, education level, occupation, marital status, and information about the parents of the deceased. The funeral home will walk you through this when you meet with them.

Georgia law requires that the death certificate be filed within 5 days of the death and before burial or cremation can occur. In practice, most funeral homes file within 24 to 48 hours.

Death Certificate Cost in Georgia

Copy

Cost

First certified copy

$25.00

Each additional copy (same order)

$5.00 each

Reorder (after original filing)

$25.00 first + $5.00 each add'l

Order enough copies upfront. It's significantly cheaper to order 8 copies at the time of filing ($25 + 7 × $5 = $60 total) than to order them later in multiple batches. Most families need more copies than they initially expect. Ask the funeral home to order 8–10 at the start.

How Many Death Certificates Do You Need?

The number of certified copies depends on the complexity of the estate and the number of assets the deceased held. Here is a practical list of what typically requires a certified copy:

Each life insurance policy — one per policy, per insurance company
Each bank or financial institution — for closing accounts or changing ownership
Social Security Administration — to stop payments and notify of death (your funeral home may do this)
Pension and retirement accounts — each plan administrator requires one
Real estate title transfer — one per property being transferred
Vehicle title transfer — one per vehicle at the Georgia DMV
VA benefits — if the deceased was a veteran, the VA requires a copy
Probate court — if the estate goes through probate, the court requires one
Employer / HR department — for final paycheck, benefits continuation, or pension
Keep one or two for your records

Our recommendation: order 8–10 certified copies for a typical estate. If the deceased had many assets, multiple properties, or multiple life insurance policies, order 12–15. It is always better to have too many than to run out and pay $25 to reorder.

Where to Get Death Certificates in Atlanta-Area Counties

Certified copies are obtained from the county vital records office in the county where the death occurred — not necessarily where the deceased lived. Each county office accepts walk-in requests as well as mail-in orders.

Fulton County (Atlanta, Roswell, Sandy Springs, East Point, College Park)

Fulton County Health Department — Vital Records
141 Pryor Street SW, Suite 1029A, Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 730-6416
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

DeKalb County (Decatur, Tucker, Stone Mountain, Lithonia)

DeKalb County Board of Health — Vital Records
4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 100, Decatur, GA 30032
Phone: (404) 298-4020
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Cobb County (Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Woodstock)

Cobb & Douglas Public Health — Vital Records
1650 County Services Pkwy SW, Marietta, GA 30008
Phone: (770) 528-2300
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Gwinnett County (Lawrenceville, Norcross, Snellville, Duluth)

Gwinnett County Health Department — Vital Records
75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30046
Phone: (770) 822-7200
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Clayton County (Jonesboro, Morrow, Riverdale, Forest Park)

Clayton County Health Department — Vital Records
9151 Tara Boulevard, Jonesboro, GA 30236
Phone: (770) 477-3322
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Rockdale County (Conyers)

Rockdale County Health Department — Vital Records
922 Court Street NE, Suite 100, Conyers, GA 30012
Phone: (770) 278-7614

Douglas County (Douglasville)

Cobb & Douglas Public Health — Douglas County Office
8700 Hospital Drive, Douglasville, GA 30134
Phone: (770) 920-7237

Cherokee County (Woodstock, Canton)

Cherokee County Health Department — Vital Records
90 North Street, Suite G-170, Canton, GA 30114
Phone: (770) 479-0452

Fayette County (Fayetteville, Peachtree City)

Fayette County Health Department — Vital Records
140 W. Stonewall Avenue, Suite 100, Fayetteville, GA 30214
Phone: (770) 305-5421

Georgia State Office of Vital Records (Statewide)

If the county office is inconvenient, you can also request certified copies from the Georgia Department of Public Health — State Office of Vital Records:

2 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 6-100, Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 679-4702
Website: ph.georgia.gov/death-certificates
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

The state office also accepts mail-in requests and processes requests through VitalChek (an authorized third-party ordering service) for an additional convenience fee.

What to Bring When You Request Copies

To obtain certified copies in person, you will need:

Your valid government-issued photo ID
The full name of the deceased
The date of death
The county where the death occurred
Payment (cash, check, or credit card depending on the office)
Proof of relationship (for some counties and some requestors — a family member's relationship is generally accepted without additional documentation)

When the Death Certificate Is Delayed

Delays happen most often when the cause of death is under investigation by the medical examiner, or when an autopsy is required. In these situations, the funeral home will receive a "pending" death certificate — which shows cause of death as "pending investigation." This pending certificate is sufficient for most immediate purposes (funeral arrangements, initial notifications), but some institutions — particularly life insurance companies — may require the final certificate before processing claims.

If the medical examiner's investigation is taking an extended period, contact the county medical examiner's office directly for a status update. Your funeral home can also follow up on your behalf.

Using the Planning Checklist

Our Atlanta Funeral Planning Checklist includes a complete administrative task list — notifying Social Security, closing financial accounts, transferring vehicle titles, and more — organized by timeline so you know what to do and when. It tracks your progress and can be printed to share with other family members managing different tasks.

Organization Supplies Families May Find Useful

A few resources families sometimes find useful for organizing certified copies and vital records.

Estate Document Organizers Fireproof Document Storage

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