Wheeler County Marriage Records
Wheeler County marriage records are held at the Probate Court in Alamo, Georgia. This rural county in south-central Georgia processes all marriage license applications and stores filed marriage certificates at the courthouse on West Main Street. The Wheeler County Probate Court is the starting point for anyone who wants to get married in the county or who needs a copy of a past marriage record. Staff at the court handle these requests on a regular basis, and most can be taken care of in a single visit. Call ahead if you want to confirm the office is open on the day you plan to come.
Wheeler County Quick Facts
Wheeler County Probate Court Information
The Wheeler County Probate Court is the only place to get a marriage license in the county. Both applicants must be there in person. The clerk will ask for IDs and collect the application. You also pay the fee at that time. The process is straightforward, and the Wheeler County staff can walk you through each part if you have not done this before.
The office is in Alamo, the county seat. It keeps standard weekday hours, though smaller county offices can sometimes close for lunch or have half-days. A phone call to (912) 568-7133 before your trip is a good idea.
| Address | 41 W. Main Street Alamo, GA 30411 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (912) 568-7133 |
| Hours | Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM |
Wheeler County Marriage License Fees
The fee for a marriage license in Wheeler County is $56 to $77 without premarital counseling. Georgia law under O.C.G.A. 19-3-30.1 allows a discount for couples who take an approved counseling course before they apply. With a certificate from a qualifying course, the fee drops to $16 to $37. The course must be six hours or more and finished within 12 months of when you file at the Wheeler County Probate Court.
Cash is the safest form of payment. Money orders work too. Not every small court in Georgia takes cards or checks. Call ahead to the Wheeler County court to ask what they accept.
How to Search Wheeler County Marriage Records
The fastest way to find a marriage record in Wheeler County is to go to the Probate Court in Alamo. Give the clerk both names and a rough date of the marriage. They will check the files. Certified copies cost $10. Extra copies at the same time run $5 each. For records that are on file at the courthouse, the search is usually quick.
An online search is also possible. The Georgia Probate Records marriage search may have Wheeler County records in its statewide index. It is free to use and can help you confirm whether a record exists before you make the trip to Alamo.
The Georgia Probate Records site provides a statewide search tool for marriage license records filed across Georgia.
Older records may only exist in paper form at the Wheeler County courthouse. For marriages from before the 1990s, an in-person visit or a phone request is the best approach.
Note: Not all Wheeler County records appear in the online index, so a courthouse visit may be needed for a complete search.
Wheeler County Marriage License Requirements
Georgia law says both applicants must be at least 18. A person who is 17 may apply only with a court-granted emancipation order, and at least 15 days must have passed since that order per O.C.G.A. 19-3-2. No one younger than 17 can get a license in the state. Both people must appear at the Wheeler County Probate Court together.
Bring valid photo ID. Driver's licenses, state IDs, passports, and military IDs are all accepted. Social Security numbers are needed for both applicants. If either person was married before, the court needs a certified divorce decree or a death certificate for the former spouse. Documents not in English need a certified translation.
- Valid photo ID for both
- Social Security numbers
- Divorce decree or death certificate if previously married
- Premarital counseling certificate for the reduced fee
- Both must appear in person at the Wheeler County court
No waiting period applies. No blood test is needed. The Wheeler County license stays good for 60 days.
State Records for Wheeler County Marriages
The Georgia Department of Public Health has a collection of marriage records from June 1952 through August 1996. If the Wheeler County marriage you need falls in that period, contact the state Vital Records office. The search fee is $10. Extra copies cost $5. The fee is not refundable.
You can go to the state office at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Walk-in requests may be handled the same day if the record is on file. Mail requests take 8 to 10 weeks. For Wheeler County marriages before 1952 or after 1996, the Probate Court in Alamo holds the records.
Wheeler County Marriage Ceremony Details
Once the Wheeler County Probate Court issues the license, you can hold the ceremony anywhere in the state. Georgia law under O.C.G.A. 19-3-30 allows judges, ministers, and ordained clergy to perform marriages. The Wheeler County Probate Court may also perform civil ceremonies, but availability varies. Call ahead to find out.
After the ceremony, the officiant must sign the license and return it to the Wheeler County Probate Court within 30 days. The court then records the marriage and mails a certified certificate to the couple. This usually takes about 30 days from the date the signed license comes back. Visit the Alamo courthouse if you need the record before the certificate arrives by mail.
Note: If the officiant does not return the signed license on time, contact the Wheeler County Probate Court to make sure your marriage gets recorded.
More Wheeler County Marriage Resources
The Georgia Probate Records website offers online marriage applications you can fill out before going to the Wheeler County courthouse. Standard forms are available at the Council of Probate Court Judges site for free. The Georgia.gov marriage page explains the whole process in simple terms.
For older marriage records, the Georgia Archives in Morrow may have Wheeler County records on microfilm. Genealogy sites like FamilySearch also index Georgia marriages from past decades. These sources can fill in gaps when the Wheeler County Probate Court files do not go back far enough.
Nearby Counties
If the marriage did not take place in Wheeler County, one of the neighboring Probate Courts may have what you need.