Probate in Georgia · 159 counties

Georgia Probate Courts

Estates here go through the Probate Court (County Probate Court). Pick a county on the map or search below — each record shows where to file and where every detail comes from.

Small-estate limit

$15,000

No statutory wait

Death taxes

None

No state death tax

Executor fee

≤ ~5%

Capped by statute

Handwritten wills

Witnesses required

Plate · GA

Every Georgia county, on one map

Population, low → high courthouse

§ I

Georgia probate rules

Court: Probate Court (County Probate Court)Georgia has an independent Probate Court in each of its 159 counties. The elected Probate Judge has exclusive jurisdiction over the probate of wills, administration of estates, involuntary mental health commitments, and marriage licenses.
Small estates: No general small-estate affidavit. Options: Petition for Order that No Administration Is Necessary (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40); bank may pay intestate decedent's deposits up to $15,000 to spouse/children/parents/siblings by affidavit (O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239)O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40 (No Administration) & O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239
Filing the will: Must be filed with Probate Court with reasonable promptness
Creditor claims: 3 months from the date of the last publication of Notice to Debtors and Creditors (published once a week for 4 weeks); late creditors lose equal-priority participationO.C.G.A. § 53-7-41
Executor fees: Statutory Commission: 2.5% of all money received and 2.5% of all money paid out (maximum 5% total) plus up to 3% on property delivered in-kind with court approvalO.C.G.A. § 53-6-60 · calculator
Estate tax: NoneGeorgia has no state estate tax.
Inheritance tax: NoneNo state inheritance tax in Georgia.
Typical duration: 6 to 12 months
Official courts site: georgiacourts.govCase search: Georgia Judicial E-Filing System (PeachCourt / re:SearchGA)

Re-checked Sept 2026 against: codes.findlaw.com (statute) · law.justia.com (statute)

Need help with an estate in Georgia?

Where to get help.

We don't sell leads or take referral fees. Eligibility, availability and fees depend on the provider; confirm them directly.

§ II · Register

All 159 counties

Sorted by population. office checked = probate office address/phone confirmed on the court's own website. courthouse mapped = located in OpenStreetMap.

#	County	Seat	Population	Record
1	Fulton County	Atlanta	1,079,105	courthouse mapped
2	Gwinnett County	Lawrenceville	983,526	courthouse mapped
3	Cobb County	Marietta	776,743	courthouse mapped
4	DeKalb County	Decatur	762,992	courthouse mapped
5	Chatham County	Savannah	303,655	courthouse mapped
6	Clayton County	Jonesboro	298,300	courthouse mapped
7	Cherokee County	Canton	286,602	courthouse mapped
8	Forsyth County	Cumming	272,887	courthouse mapped
9	Henry County	McDonough	254,613	courthouse mapped
10	Hall County	Gainesville	217,267	courthouse mapped
11	Richmond County	Augusta	205,414	courthouse mapped
12	Muscogee County	Columbus	201,877	county site
13	Paulding County	Dallas	183,164	courthouse mapped
14	Houston County	Perry	171,974	courthouse mapped
15	Columbia County	Appling andEvans	165,162	courthouse mapped
16	Bibb County	Macon	156,512	courthouse mapped
17	Coweta County	Newnan	155,892	courthouse mapped
18	Douglas County	Douglasville	149,160	courthouse mapped
19	Clarke County	Athens	129,933	courthouse mapped
20	Carroll County	Carrollton	127,098	courthouse mapped
21	Fayette County	Fayetteville	123,351	courthouse mapped
22	Lowndes County	Valdosta	120,712	county site
23	Newton County	Covington	120,135	courthouse mapped
24	Bartow County	Cartersville	115,041	courthouse mapped
25	Walton County	Monroe	106,702	courthouse mapped
26	Whitfield County	Dalton	103,687	courthouse mapped
27	Floyd County	Rome	100,113	courthouse mapped
28	Rockdale County	Conyers	95,987	courthouse mapped
29	Barrow County	Winder	92,792	courthouse mapped
30	Jackson County	Jefferson	88,615	courthouse mapped
31	Glynn County	Brunswick	86,172	courthouse mapped
32	Bulloch County	Statesboro	84,327	courthouse mapped
33	Dougherty County	Albany	82,645	courthouse mapped
34	Effingham County	Springfield	71,541	courthouse mapped
35	Troup County	LaGrange	70,742	courthouse mapped
36	Spalding County	Griffin	69,946	courthouse mapped
37	Walker County	LaFayette	69,489	courthouse mapped
38	Liberty County	Hinesville	69,210	courthouse mapped
39	Catoosa County	Ringgold	68,910	courthouse mapped
40	Gordon County	Calhoun	59,757	courthouse mapped
41	Camden County	Woodbine	58,118	courthouse mapped
42	Laurens County	Dublin	49,941	courthouse mapped
43	Bryan County	Pembroke	49,739	courthouse mapped
44	Habersham County	Clarkesville	48,757	courthouse mapped
45	Colquitt County	Moultrie	46,167	courthouse mapped
46	Thomas County	Thomasville	45,649	courthouse mapped
47	Polk County	Cedartown	44,223	courthouse mapped
48	Oconee County	Watkinsville	44,182	courthouse mapped
49	Baldwin County	Milledgeville	43,396	courthouse mapped
50	Coffee County	Douglas	43,317	courthouse mapped
51	Tift County	Tifton	41,554	courthouse mapped
52	Murray County	Chatsworth	41,035	courthouse mapped
53	Harris County	Hamilton	36,654	county site
54	Ware County	Waycross	36,243	courthouse mapped
55	Pickens County	Jasper	35,969	courthouse mapped
56	Lumpkin County	Dahlonega	35,258	courthouse mapped
57	Lee County	Leesburg	33,872	courthouse mapped
58	Gilmer County	Ellijay	32,860	courthouse mapped
59	Madison County	Danielsville	32,191	courthouse mapped
60	Haralson County	Buchanan	32,038	courthouse mapped
61	Dawson County	Dawsonville	31,732	courthouse mapped
62	Wayne County	Jesup	31,373	courthouse mapped
63	Monroe County	Forsyth	30,625	courthouse mapped
64	Decatur County	Bainbridge	29,087	courthouse mapped
65	White County	Cleveland	29,026	courthouse mapped
66	Jones County	Gray	28,969	courthouse mapped
67	Sumter County	Americus	28,890	courthouse mapped
68	Peach County	Fort Valley	28,805	courthouse mapped
69	Upson County	Thomaston	28,263	courthouse mapped
70	Hart County	Hartwell	27,556	courthouse mapped
71	Stephens County	Toccoa	27,228	courthouse mapped
72	Union County	Blairsville	27,124	courthouse mapped
73	Toombs County	Lyons	27,040	courthouse mapped
74	Butts County	Jackson	26,887	courthouse mapped
75	Grady County	Cairo	26,066	courthouse mapped
76	Fannin County	Blue Ridge	25,955	courthouse mapped
77	Chattooga County	Summerville	25,222	courthouse mapped
78	Franklin County	Carnesville	24,782	courthouse mapped
79	Burke County	Waynesboro	24,438	courthouse mapped
80	Tattnall County	Reidsville	24,296	county site
81	Putnam County	Eatonton	23,129	courthouse mapped
82	Emanuel County	Swainsboro	23,119	courthouse mapped
83	McDuffie County	Thomson	21,799	courthouse mapped
84	Morgan County	Madison	21,460	courthouse mapped
85	Mitchell County	Camilla	21,114	courthouse mapped
86	Meriwether County	Greenville	20,931	courthouse mapped
87	Greene County	Greensboro	20,722	courthouse mapped
88	Pike County	Zebulon	20,461	courthouse mapped
89	Pierce County	Blackshear	20,425	courthouse mapped
90	Lamar County	Barnesville	20,401	courthouse mapped
91	Worth County	Sylvester	20,273	courthouse mapped
92	Elbert County	Elberton	20,013	courthouse mapped
93	Washington County	Sandersville	19,820	courthouse mapped
94	Banks County	Homer	19,789	courthouse mapped
95	Dodge County	Eastman	19,776	county site
96	Crisp County	Cordele	19,631	courthouse mapped
97	Long County	Ludowici	19,594	courthouse mapped
98	Berrien County	Nashville	18,570	courthouse mapped
99	Appling County	Baxley	18,457	courthouse mapped
100	Brantley County	Nahunta	18,401	courthouse mapped
101	Cook County	Adel	17,714	courthouse mapped
102	Rabun County	Clayton	17,442	courthouse mapped
103	Ben Hill County	Fitzgerald	17,128	courthouse mapped
104	Jasper County	Monticello	16,455	courthouse mapped
105	Brooks County	Quitman	16,245	courthouse mapped
106	Dade County	Trenton	16,165	courthouse mapped
107	Oglethorpe County	Lexington	15,754	courthouse mapped
108	Jefferson County	Louisville	15,183	courthouse mapped
109	Jeff Davis County	Hazlehurst	14,906	courthouse mapped
110	Screven County	Sylvania	14,174	courthouse mapped
111	Towns County	Hiawassee	13,035	courthouse mapped
112	Charlton County	Folkston	12,934	courthouse mapped
113	Bleckley County	Cochran	12,465	courthouse mapped
114	Crawford County	Knoxville	12,277	courthouse mapped
115	Heard County	Franklin	12,034	courthouse mapped
116	Macon County	Oglethorpe	11,817	courthouse mapped
117	McIntosh County	Darien	11,501	courthouse mapped
118	Bacon County	Alma	11,124	courthouse mapped
119	Candler County	Metter	11,059	courthouse mapped
120	Dooly County	Vienna	10,981	courthouse mapped
121	Telfair County	McRae-Helena	10,920	courthouse mapped
122	Evans County	Claxton	10,754	courthouse mapped
123	Early County	Blakely	10,563	courthouse mapped
124	Lanier County	Lakeland	10,452	county site
125	Pulaski County	Hawkinsville	10,095	courthouse mapped
126	Wilkes County	Washington	9,518	courthouse mapped
127	Johnson County	Wrightsville	9,282	courthouse mapped
128	Irwin County	Ocilla	9,120	courthouse mapped
129	Seminole County	Donalsonville	9,092	courthouse mapped
130	Turner County	Ashburn	8,909	courthouse mapped
131	Wilcox County	Abbeville	8,779	courthouse mapped
132	Montgomery County	Mount Vernon	8,761	courthouse mapped
133	Wilkinson County	Irwinton	8,725	courthouse mapped
134	Terrell County	Dawson	8,718	courthouse mapped
135	Hancock County	Sparta	8,676	courthouse mapped
136	Chattahoochee County	Cusseta	8,661	courthouse mapped
137	Jenkins County	Millen	8,627	courthouse mapped
138	Atkinson County	Pearson	8,293	courthouse mapped
139	Lincoln County	Lincolnton	7,879	courthouse mapped
140	Taylor County	Butler	7,758	courthouse mapped
141	Twiggs County	Jeffersonville	7,691	courthouse mapped
142	Marion County	Buena Vista	7,440	courthouse mapped
143	Wheeler County	Alamo	7,081	courthouse mapped
144	Clinch County	Homerville	6,746	courthouse mapped
145	Treutlen County	Soperton	6,341	courthouse mapped
146	Randolph County	Cuthbert	6,078	courthouse mapped
147	Miller County	Colquitt	5,747	county site
148	Talbot County	Talbotton	5,718	courthouse mapped
149	Calhoun County	Morgan	5,457	courthouse mapped
150	Warren County	Warrenton	5,106	courthouse mapped
151	Stewart County	Lumpkin	4,674	courthouse mapped
152	Schley County	Ellaville	4,526	courthouse mapped
153	Echols County	Statenville	3,709	courthouse mapped
154	Glascock County	Gibson	2,954	courthouse mapped
155	Clay County	Fort Gaines	2,853	courthouse mapped
156	Baker County	Newton	2,743	courthouse mapped
157	Webster County	Preston	2,337	courthouse mapped
158	Quitman County	Georgetown	2,280	county site
159	Taliaferro County	Crawfordville	1,609	county site

§ III

Georgia probate questions

What is the small estate affidavit limit in Georgia?

No general small-estate affidavit. Options: Petition for Order that No Administration Is Necessary (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40); bank may pay intestate decedent's deposits up to $15,000 to spouse/children/parents/siblings by affidavit (O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239) (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40 (No Administration) & O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239). There is no statutory waiting period. Georgia does not have a standard monetary small estate affidavit. Instead, heirs can petition for an 'Order Declaring No Administration Necessary' if all heirs agree and no debts exist. Financial institutions can release accounts up to $15,000 by affidavit.

How are executor and administrator fees calculated in Georgia?

Statutory Commission: 2.5% of all money received and 2.5% of all money paid out (maximum 5% total) plus up to 3% on property delivered in-kind with court approval (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-60). Courts can award more for extraordinary services, such as running a business or litigation.

What is the creditor claim deadline for estates in Georgia?

3 months from the date of the last publication of Notice to Debtors and Creditors (published once a week for 4 weeks); late creditors lose equal-priority participation (O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41). Claims filed after the deadline are generally barred.

Does Georgia recognize handwritten (holographic) wills?

No — witnesses are required. Georgia does NOT recognize unwitnessed handwritten wills. All wills must be attested by at least two competent witnesses (O.C.G.A. § 53-4-20).

Does Georgia have a state estate tax or inheritance tax?

Georgia has no state estate tax. There is no inheritance tax.