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Courts in Georgia
- General Jurisdiction / Upper Courts
- Superior Courts - 49 courts.
- Civil - tort and contracts.
- Domestic - marriage dissolution, domestic relations.
- Criminal - felony, misdemeanor, drunk driving.
- Traffic and other violations.
- Juvenile.
- Limited Jurisdiction / Lower Courts
- State Courts - 70 courts.
- Civil - tort, contracts, small claims.
- Criminal - misdemeanor, drunk driving.
- Traffic and other violations.
- Juvenile Courts - 1 court in each Georgia County.
- Traffic and other violations.
- Juvenile.
- Magistrate Courts - 1 court in each Georgia County.
- Civil - tort and contracts to $15,000, small claims to $5,000.
- Criminal - misdemeanor.
- Ordinance violations.
- Preliminary hearings.
- Probate Courts - 1 court in each Georgia County.
- Civil - mental health, estate, miscellaneous.
- Criminal - misdemeanor, drunk driving.
- Traffic.
- Civil Courts - Bibb and Richmond county only.
- Civil - tort, contracts, and small claims to $25,000.
- Preliminary hearings.
- Columbus Municipal Court - City of Columbus
- Civil - tort, contracts, and small claims to $15,000.
- Criminal - misdemeanor.
- Preliminary hearings.
- Atlanta Municipal Court - City of Atlanta
- Criminal - misdemeanor, drunk driving.
- Preliminary hearings.
- Traffic.
- County Recorders Court - 4 courts
- Criminal - drunk driving.
- Preliminary hearings.
- Traffic.
Property Tax Records
Georgia real and personal property tax records are kept by the Tax Assessor Office in each county.
Deeds and Document Recording
Georgia deeds and general document recording are handled by the Clerk of Courts office in each county. Larger offices have separate divisions for recording. Records kept include deeds, mortgage documents, easements, powers of attorney, marriage licenses, and liens.
Vital Records
The state vital records office maintains birth and death records filed from 1919 to the present. Marriage applications and licenses from 1952-1996 are also on file. No divorce records are on file at the state office, however, an index of divorce events from 1952 to the present is available. Some counties may have older birth, death, marriage, or divorce records in their files, but county files only contain records of vital events that occurred in that county.
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