Search Grady County Marriage Records

Grady County marriage records are filed at the Probate Court in Cairo, Georgia. The court issues marriage licenses and stores certified copies of marriage certificates for the county. Grady County is in southwest Georgia near the Florida state line. Whether you need to apply for a new marriage license or look up a record from years past, the Grady County Probate Court on North Broad Street is where you go. Staff can assist with record searches, help you understand the forms, and walk you through what is needed for your request involving Grady County marriage records.

Grady County Probate Court

The Grady County Probate Court is the one office for all marriage license and marriage record services in the county. It is at 250 North Broad Street in Cairo. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Both people must come in together to apply for a marriage license. You can not send one person or handle the application by mail. Staff will review your forms and ID and issue the license on the spot if everything checks out at the Grady County Probate Court.

Grady County is a rural area, so wait times are usually short. Call ahead to (229) 377-4621 if you want to make sure the staff is available for a marriage license visit. Walk-ins are generally taken without a problem during regular hours.

Marriage License Fees in Grady County

Grady County follows standard Georgia fee rates for marriage licenses. The cost is between $56 and $76 without premarital counseling. A $40 discount is available for couples who finish a qualifying premarital education course. O.C.G.A. § 19-3-30.1 allows this fee reduction across all Georgia counties. The course must last at least six hours, be completed within 12 months of the application, and be conducted by a licensed professional counselor, therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, or active clergy member.

Bring the original certificate of completion when you apply at the Grady County Probate Court. Copies and scans usually do not count. Certified copies of marriage records cost $10 each. Call the court to check which payment methods they take before you make the trip.

Grady County License Requirements

Both people must be at least 18 years old under O.C.G.A. § 19-3-2. A 17-year-old may apply only with a court-granted emancipation order, and 15 days must have passed since that order was signed. Both parties must appear in person at the Grady County Probate Court.

Bring valid photo ID such as a driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID. If either person was married before, a certified copy of the final divorce decree or a death certificate for the former spouse is required. Documents not in English must include a certified translation. Under O.C.G.A. § 19-3-1, both people must be of sound mind and have no un-dissolved prior marriage.

• Valid photo ID for both parties
• Divorce decree or death certificate if previously married
• Social Security number
• Premarital counseling certificate for the reduced fee

The license is valid for 60 days. Georgia has no waiting period. You can have the ceremony the same day you get the license from the Grady County Probate Court.

How to Get Grady County Marriage Records

Go to the Probate Court in Cairo. Give the clerk the names and marriage date. The fee is $10 per certified copy. Staff search the files and print what you need. Most requests take just a few minutes at the Grady County courthouse if the file is available.

You can also try a mail request. Send a written note with the full names, the date of marriage, and a money order for $10 to the Grady County Probate Court at 250 N Broad St, Cairo, GA 39828. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope so the court can mail the record to you. The Georgia Department of Public Health holds some marriage records from June 1952 through August 1996. The state search fee is $10 and is non-refundable.

For Grady County marriages before 1952 or after 1996, the Probate Court in Cairo is the only source. The state does not maintain those records.

After Your Ceremony in Grady County

The officiant signs the marriage license after the wedding. They have 30 days to return it to the Grady County Probate Court. The court records the marriage and mails a certified marriage certificate. Allow up to 30 days after the license comes back. If you need it sooner, check with the courthouse in Cairo to see if the record has been entered.

Judges, ministers, and other clergy can perform the ceremony under O.C.G.A. § 19-3-30. Ask the Grady County Probate Court if the judge can do the ceremony at the courthouse. Call the office to check which days work. Being close to the Florida border, some couples in Grady County may consider marrying across state lines, but keep in mind Georgia law under O.C.G.A. § 19-3-43 says a marriage in another state has the same legal effect as one performed in Georgia.

Grady County Marriage Record Sources

The Council of Probate Court Judges oversees all 159 county probate courts in Georgia. Their standard forms page has forms used by every court. The Georgia Probate Records website lets you fill out a marriage application online before visiting the Grady County Probate Court.

For historical records, the Georgia Archives in Morrow has microfilm copies of marriage records from many Georgia counties. FamilySearch also has Georgia marriage indexes from 1808 to 1967 that may include Grady County entries. The state Vital Records office can verify marriages on or after January 1, 2014, through the verification request form.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Grady County. If the marriage you need was not filed in Grady County, contact one of these Probate Courts.