Echols County Marriage Records Lookup

Echols County marriage records are kept at the Probate Court in Statenville, Georgia. Echols County is one of the smallest counties in the state, but the Probate Court still handles all marriage license applications and stores recorded marriage certificates. If you need to search for a past marriage record or want a certified copy, the Echols County Probate Court is the place to go. Staff can help you find older licenses and certificates on file. For records outside the 1952 to 1996 window held by the state, this courthouse in Statenville is your only option.

Echols County Probate Court

The Echols County Probate Court is on Highway 94 East in Statenville. This small office handles all marriage license and marriage record work for the county. Both people who want to get married have to show up in person. You can not apply by mail or send one person alone. The clerk checks your documents, takes the fee, and gives you the license if things look right.

Walk-ins are accepted during business hours. No appointment is needed at the Echols County Probate Court. Since Echols County is small and the office has limited staff, calling ahead is a smart idea. That way you can make sure someone is there to help when you arrive in Statenville. The court may also be able to perform marriage ceremonies, but ask first.

Marriage License Fees in Echols County

Echols County follows Georgia's standard fee structure. Without premarital counseling, the fee ranges from $56 to $77. With a qualifying six-hour course, the cost can drop to $16 to $37. That savings is available because of O.C.G.A. § 19-3-30.1. To get the reduced rate at the Echols County Probate Court, bring your certificate of completion. The course must have been done within the last 12 months.

Bring cash or a money order. Most Georgia probate courts do not take personal checks. Call (229) 559-5642 to ask about card payments before your trip to the Echols County courthouse in Statenville.

How to Get Echols County Marriage Records

To get a copy of a marriage record from Echols County, the easiest route is to visit the Probate Court in Statenville. Provide the names and marriage date. The fee is $10 per certified copy. Staff will search and print the record for you on the spot.

Mail requests may work too. Send a note with the names, date, and a money order for $10 to the Echols County Probate Court at 129 Hwy 94 East, Statenville, GA 31648. Put your return address on the note so the clerk can mail the copy back to you. Phone requests for certified copies are not typically taken, but call to check.

The Georgia Department of Public Health has marriage records from 1952 to 1996. For anything outside that range, the Echols County Probate Court is the source. The state charges a $10 non-refundable search fee and mail requests to the state office take 8 to 10 weeks to process.

Echols County Marriage License Requirements

Both people must be at least 18 years old under O.C.G.A. § 19-3-2. A 17-year-old can apply only with proof of emancipation and 15 days must have passed since the order. The older person can not be more than four years older than the younger one. Both must come to the Echols County Probate Court in person. There is no way to skip this step.

A valid photo ID is needed. A driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID works. If you were married before, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree or a death certificate for the former spouse. Under O.C.G.A. § 19-3-1, both parties must be of sound mind and not in a prior un-dissolved marriage. All documents must be in English. Foreign language papers need a certified translation to be accepted in Echols County.

• Valid photo ID for both people
• Proof of age such as birth certificate or passport
• Divorce decree or death certificate if previously married
• Social Security number
• Premarital education certificate for reduced fee

Your Echols County marriage license is valid for 60 days. If the ceremony is not held in that time, it becomes void.

Marriage Ceremonies in Echols County

After you get the license, any authorized person can perform the ceremony. Judges, ministers, and clergy are all allowed under Georgia law. The Echols County Probate Court may perform ceremonies too. Call first to ask about this.

The officiant must sign the marriage license and return it to the Echols County Probate Court within 30 days. The court then records the marriage and mails a certified certificate to the couple. This process takes about 30 days after the signed license arrives. If you need the certificate faster, visit the Statenville courthouse once the record has been entered into the system.

Echols County Record Sources

You can start the application process online at the Georgia Probate Records website. This lets you fill out the forms before your trip to the Echols County Probate Court in Statenville.

The Council of Probate Court Judges keeps standard forms that all 159 Georgia county courts use. For older Echols County records, the Georgia Archives in Morrow has marriage records on microfilm for many counties. FamilySearch also has a free index of Georgia marriages from 1808 to 1967 that may include Echols County entries.

State Marriage Records for Echols County

The state Vital Records office holds marriage files from June 1952 to August 1996. You can request a copy from the Georgia DPH at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. The search fee is $10 and it is non-refundable. Extra copies are $5 each. Mail requests take 8 to 10 weeks. In-person visits can get same-day results.

For Echols County marriages before 1952 or after 1996, you must go through the Probate Court in Statenville. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, each county probate court sets its own fee schedule within the range allowed by the state. Confirm costs with the Echols County office before sending any payment. You can also request a marriage verification for any ceremony from January 1, 2014 onward using the state verification form.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Echols County. If the marriage took place outside Echols County, check with one of these nearby Probate Courts.