How to Get Certified Copies of a Divorce Decree in Georgia

Every agency you need to update after your Georgia divorce — Social Security, DDS, your bank, your mortgage company — requires an original certified copy of your decree. Photocopies won't work. Neither will the copy your attorney emailed you. And each agency typically keeps the copy you submit, which means you need several.

Here's where to get them, what they cost by county, and a faster alternative most people don't know about.

Where Georgia Divorce Records Are Held

Georgia divorce records are held exclusively by the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the divorce was finalized — not by the Georgia Department of Public Health, which handles birth and death certificates. If your divorce was finalized in Fulton County, only the Fulton County Superior Court Clerk can issue certified copies.

You can request copies three ways: in person at the clerk's office, by mail with a written request and payment, or through the GSCCCA eCertification Portal online.

County-by-County Costs

Certified copy fees vary by county because Georgia sets a statutory framework but lets individual clerks determine exact charges within that range.

For in-person requests, bring a valid photo ID. For mail requests, include a written request with the case number, names of both parties, approximate date of divorce, and a self-addressed stamped envelope along with your payment (check or money order — most clerks don't accept cash by mail).

The GSCCCA eCertification Portal

The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA) runs an electronic certification portal at ecert.gsccca.org that lets you purchase tamper-proof, electronically certified copies of your divorce decree from home. The digital copies carry the same legal weight as paper certified copies with a physical court seal.

This is faster than driving to the courthouse and particularly useful if you've moved out of the county where your divorce was finalized. Search by party name or case number, select your document, and pay online.

How Many Copies Do You Need?

Order at least 5 certified copies. Here's why:

1. Social Security Administration — keeps your copy on file
2. Georgia DDS — requires an original for driver's license name change
3. U.S. State Department — requires a certified copy for passport updates
4. Real estate/vehicle transfers — the county clerk and Tax Commissioner's office each need a copy
5. Backup — banks, insurance companies, and employer HR departments may each request one

At $5–$15 per copy depending on your county, the total investment is $25–$75 — far less than the cost of making multiple trips back to the courthouse when you run out.

What If You Can't Find Your Case Number?

If you don't have your case number, the clerk's office can look it up by the names of both parties and approximate date of divorce. You can also search the GSCCCA's online records portal, which indexes Superior Court case filings across all 159 Georgia counties.

For divorces finalized before electronic records were standard, the clerk may need to pull a physical file. Allow extra time for mail requests in these cases.

Certified vs. Uncertified — Why It Matters

A certified copy bears the clerk's original signature, the date of certification, and an embossed court seal (or electronic equivalent). Federal agencies like the SSA and State Department will not accept uncertified copies, printouts from PACER, or copies your attorney printed from their case management system.

The certification confirms the document is a true and complete copy of the original court filing — that's what makes it legally authoritative for changing your name, transferring property, and updating accounts.

The Georgia Post-Divorce Guide includes a certified copy tracker worksheet to record which agencies have your originals — so you know exactly where each copy went and when you need to order more.

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