Find Marriage and Divorce Records in Chatham County

Where Chatham County Marriage and Divorce Records Live

Marriage records start at the Probate Court of Chatham County. Judge Thomas C. Bordeaux, Jr. presides. The office is in Room 509 of the Frank S. Coleman Courthouse at 133 Montgomery Street, Savannah, GA 31401. The main phone is (912) 652-7264. Office hours run 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Thursday hours start at 8:45 a.m. due to staff meetings. License work stops at 4:30 p.m. on every open day. The Probate marriage license page walks through the full workflow.

Divorces are not handled by Probate. Georgia gives Superior Court exclusive jurisdiction over divorce cases. Chatham divorce files run through Tammie Mosley, Clerk of Superior Court, at 400 W. Oglethorpe Avenue, Suite 178, Savannah, GA 31401. The phone is (912) 434-8920. The clerk's email is supctclk@chathamcounty.org. The Clerk of Superior Court site links to case lookup, eFile Georgia, and eCertification. State-level marriage and divorce verification is also offered by the Georgia Department of Public Health, though court decrees stay with the county court that issued them.

Getting a Marriage License in Chatham County

Probate Court issues every Chatham County marriage license. The court states that all marriage license applications are by appointment only. Walk-ins are not served at the counter for a license. A walk-in is given the online link to book a later appointment instead. Couples are warned not to wait until the last minute and not to show up without the required documents.

Georgia residents may apply in any county in the state. If neither applicant lives in Georgia, the license must come from the county where the wedding will take place. The ceremony must be held in Georgia for a Georgia-issued license to be valid. Both applicants must appear in person at the appointment. Premarital blood tests are no longer required in Georgia. Probate Court does not perform wedding ceremonies.

Lead-in research: the official rules and the certificate checklist sit on the Probate marriage license page.

That page lists the appointment link, the application portal, the document checklist, the fee chart, and the certified copy steps in one place.

How to Apply for a Marriage License

Probate Court breaks the license process into three steps. The online application comes first. The licensing appointment is second. The in-person visit and payment is third. Each step must be done in order. Skipping a step means starting over.

1. Complete and submit the online fillable marriage license application through Georgia Probate Records. Both applicants must enter their legal names, residence, age proof, and any prior marriage status.
2. Schedule a licensing appointment after the application is filed and both applicants have current IDs and any required documents (divorce decree, death certificate, premarital certificate, translated documents).
3. Both applicants come to Probate Court at the appointment time for the license and pay the fee. Bring originals of every required document.

Proof of age is required for both applicants. Acceptable proof includes a valid driver's license, an original or certified birth certificate, a valid passport, or a valid armed forces ID. Chatham cites O.C.G.A. § 19-3-36 for the proof of age rule. Applicants must be at least 17. A 17-year-old must prove emancipation under O.C.G.A. 19-3-2 and must also complete premarital education under O.C.G.A. 19-3-30.1.

Marriage License Application Fields

The Georgia Probate Records form asks for the same information for each applicant. Knowing the fields in advance speeds up the appointment. The table below mirrors the official Chatham County application inventory.

If a previous marriage ended in divorce, bring the final stamped or sealed decree from the most recent marriage. If a spouse died, bring a death certificate or obituary as proof. Non-English documents need a certified translation.

Marriage License Fees in Chatham County

The license fee depends on whether the couple presents a qualifying premarital education certificate. Chatham Probate Court cites O.C.G.A. § 19-3-30.1 for the reduced fee. The certificate must reflect at least six hours of instruction from a qualifying program and must be signed and dated. Without the certificate, the standard fee applies.

Probate accepts credit card, debit card, cash, money order, or cashier's check in exact amount. Personal checks are not accepted for marriage licenses or weapons carry licenses. Credit and debit transactions carry a 5% service fee. All fees are nonrefundable. The standard license fee includes one certified copy of the marriage certificate after the completed license is returned to Probate.

After the Ceremony — Returning the License

The completed license must be returned to Probate Court for recording. Most couples mail it back. The mailing address is Probate Court of Chatham County, Attention: Marriage Certificates, P.O. Box 8344, Savannah, GA 31412. Overnight or hand delivery goes to 133 Montgomery Street, Room 509, Savannah, GA 31401. One certified copy is mailed back once the completed license is recorded, included with the original fee.

Extra digital certified copies can be ordered through Georgia Probate Records. The cost is $18 plus a 5% convenience fee per copy. Mail requests use the $10 research fee plus $10 for the first certified page and $1 for each added page. Enclose a money order with mail requests. The Georgia Department of Public Health also issues verifications of marriage at the state level, separate from the county certified record.

Chatham County Divorce Records and Filings

Superior Court has exclusive jurisdiction over divorce in Georgia. Every Chatham divorce, contested or uncontested, files with the Clerk of Superior Court at the Eugene H. Gadsden Courthouse. The general civil and domestic filing fee is $218 plus any sheriff or service fees. Family violence and stalking order filings carry no fee on the Superior Clerk civil intake fee page. The clerk maintains the divorce file from intake through final decree.

Divorce records can be searched online through re:Search Georgia, which the courts link as Case Lookup. Some financial pages and exhibits sit behind clerk-only access. Certified copies of decrees come from the Clerk of Superior Court window or through eCertification. The state-level verification path runs through the Georgia Department of Public Health for divorce events, but the actual decree comes from the county clerk that handled the case.

For a step-by-step divorce filing path, expect this order:

1. Confirm venue and residency to make sure Chatham Superior Court is the correct court.
2. Prepare the complaint for divorce plus any required financial, child, or parenting forms.
3. eFile through eFile Georgia where required, or file according to Superior Clerk rules.
4. Pay the $218 general civil and domestic filing fee, or file a pauper affidavit if income qualifies.
5. Arrange service by sheriff or private process server as Georgia rules allow.
6. Track the case in re:Search Georgia and attend each hearing as set.
7. Request a certified copy of the final decree from the Clerk of Superior Court after entry.

State-Level Marriage and Divorce Records

The Georgia Department of Public Health provides marriage and divorce vital-record verification at the state level. The Probate Court remains the issuing authority for Chatham marriage licenses, and Superior Court remains the issuing authority for Chatham divorces. The state agency does not replace the county clerk for certified court copies. Use it to verify that an event occurred or to obtain a state vital-record form when needed.

You can see the official state marriage record path on the Georgia DPH marriage records page.

The page lists the request methods, fees, and ID rules used by the state vital records office.

Related Chatham County Records

Probate Court also handles wills, estates, and guardianships beyond marriage. See the Chatham County Probate Records page for the estate process and fees. Superior Court divorces sit alongside other civil filings handled by the Clerk of Superior Court. For open records requests outside court files, see Chatham County public records. For broader case access and dockets, see Chatham County court records.