Are Divorce Records Public in Georgia? Access, Privacy & Sealing (2026)

Yes, divorce records are public in Georgia. Under the Georgia Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, divorce filings held by the Clerk of Superior Court are open for public inspection and copying. Anyone can access the petition, decree, and financial details unless a judge seals the file by court order or specific data is redacted.

Georgia treats divorce as a civil court matter, and civil court records carry a strong presumption of openness. The question "are divorce records public Georgia" comes up most often from people worried about employers, exes, or the general public seeing custody arrangements and financial disclosures. This guide explains exactly what is accessible, what is protected, how to run a divorce records search, and how to seal divorce records when privacy or safety is at stake.

Key Facts: Georgia Divorce Records

As of March 2026. Verify all fees with your local Superior Court clerk.

Are Divorce Records Public in Georgia?

Divorce records are public in Georgia under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, the Open Records Act, which mandates that all public records be open for personal inspection and copying. Divorce cases filed in Superior Court become part of the official court record, and any member of the public may request them unless a judge seals the file or the law makes specific data confidential.

Georgia's Open Records Act establishes a broad presumption of openness for government records. Divorce decrees, petitions, and orders are records maintained by the Clerk of Superior Court, a government office, which brings them squarely within the statute's reach. The law states that public records "shall be open for personal inspection and copying, except" when a court order or another statute makes them confidential. A separate provision, O.C.G.A. § 31-10-25, classifies divorce records as public files at the vital-records level. Because Georgia is a common-law equitable-distribution state, financial disclosures filed during property division often appear in the public record, which is why many divorcing spouses ask how to limit public divorce filings from being viewed by third parties.

What Information Appears in Public Georgia Divorce Records?

Public Georgia divorce records typically contain the full names of both spouses, the grounds for divorce, the filing date, custody and parenting arrangements, child support amounts, alimony terms, and property division details. A public divorce records search can surface the original Complaint for Divorce, the final Judgment and Decree, and every motion filed between them, though sensitive identifiers are redacted.

The general rule is that divorce records between two adults of lawful age are open. A member of the public who requests the file can view every document prepared and filed in the case, from the initial divorce petition through the final divorce decree. These records are often detailed. Because Georgia courts require financial affidavits during equitable distribution, the file may reveal income figures, asset lists, debt balances, and retirement account information. Custody records can disclose the names and ages of minor children and the parenting schedule. For high-conflict cases, allegations raised in pleadings, such as adultery (one of Georgia's 13 statutory grounds) or cruel treatment, also become part of the searchable public divorce filings unless the court restricts access.

Where Are Georgia Divorce Records Stored?

Georgia divorce records are stored primarily by the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted, not in a single statewide database. The Georgia Department of Public Health Vital Records Office maintains only divorce verifications for divorces between June 1952 and August 1996, at a cost of $10 per certified copy. For all other years, you must contact the county clerk directly.

Understanding where records live is essential to a successful divorce records search. Because Georgia has no central repository of full divorce case files, the county of filing controls access. If you know the county, you contact that Clerk of Superior Court, either in person, by mail, or through the county's e-filing portal. If you do not know the county, the Georgia State Archives maintains a statewide divorce index covering 1965–1971 and 1973–1999 on microfiche; that index does not hold the actual documents but identifies which county recorded the divorce so you can request the file. At the state level, the Vital Records Office only confirms that a divorce occurred within the 1952–1996 window and issues a verification, not the full decree with financial and custody terms.

How to Search for Divorce Records in Georgia

To search for divorce records in Georgia, identify the county where the divorce was filed, then request the file from that Clerk of Superior Court by name and case number. Many counties offer online e-access portals through the Georgia Judicial Gateway. Certified copies typically cost $10–$20 per document, and turnaround ranges from same-day (in person) to several weeks (by mail).

A public divorce records search follows a predictable path. First, confirm the county of filing; use the Georgia State Archives index for older divorces if the county is unknown. Second, contact that county's Clerk of Superior Court. Several metro counties, including Fulton, Gwinnett, and Cobb, provide E-Access to Court Records through the statewide portal at georgiacourts.gov, letting you search by party name or case number from home. Third, request the specific documents you need, the decree, petition, or a particular motion. Fourth, pay the copy fee; certified copies run roughly $10–$20 each, while plain copies cost less. Some third-party commercial sites aggregate Georgia records, but they charge premium fees and may hold outdated data, so the clerk's office remains the authoritative source for accurate, current public divorce filings.

What Sensitive Information Is Redacted from Georgia Divorce Records?

Georgia redacts sensitive personal identifiers from public divorce records under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-7.1, effective July 1, 2014. Court filings may display only the last four digits of Social Security numbers, taxpayer ID numbers, and financial account numbers, plus only the year of birth. Full identifiers, credit card data, and bank account numbers are shielded before disclosure.

Redaction narrows what the public actually sees even in an otherwise open file. The statute directs that any filing containing a Social Security number, taxpayer identification number, financial account number, or birth date must include only the last four digits of those numbers and only the birth year. This protects divorce records privacy without closing the entire case. The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority publishes guidelines for shielding sensitive data from court records, balancing public access against personal safety. The redaction rule is a filer's responsibility: O.C.G.A. § 9-11-7.1 states that a filer who submits unredacted material "waives the protections" of the statute. If sensitive data is accidentally exposed, the law treats it as a curable defect, and the court may order a sealed unredacted version alongside a redacted public copy. Domestic-violence survivors receive additional protection through address-confidentiality measures.

How to Seal Divorce Records in Georgia

To seal divorce records in Georgia, you must file a motion with the Superior Court and prove good cause, showing that public access causes actual harm that outweighs the presumption of openness. Under Uniform Superior Court Rule 21 and O.C.G.A. § 9-11-7.1, a judge weighs privacy against the public interest. Sealing is discretionary, not automatic, and typically requires legal representation.

Sealing an entire divorce file is far harder than redacting a few identifiers. The party who wants to seal divorce records bears the burden of persuading the court that sealing is appropriate. To meet that burden, the movant usually must demonstrate actual harm, such as harassment by an ex-spouse or a third party, compromised financial accounts, or danger to children or a domestic-violence survivor. Uniform Superior Court Rule 21 governs limiting access to court files and requires the judge to make specific findings that privacy interests outweigh the public's right of access. O.C.G.A. § 9-11-7.1 supplies a narrower tool: for good cause, a court may seal an individual filing that contains sensitive information beyond the standard redactions and order that a redacted version stay in the public record. Because a party's own label of "confidential" carries no legal effect, only a signed court order actually seals the file. Once sealed, only the spouses and their attorneys may access the record without further court permission.

Georgia Divorce Records Access vs. Privacy: Comparison Table

Residency and Filing Requirements That Create the Public Record

Georgia requires at least one spouse to be a bona fide resident for 6 months before filing, under O.C.G.A. § 19-5-2. The divorce is filed with the Clerk of Superior Court in the respondent's county, and filing fees run $200–$256 depending on county. This filing act is what creates the public divorce record that later becomes searchable.

The public record begins the moment a Complaint for Divorce is filed, so understanding the filing rules clarifies how records enter the system. The 6-month residency requirement in O.C.G.A. § 19-5-2 is jurisdictional, meaning a court cannot hear the case at all unless the threshold is met. Bona fide residency requires more than physical presence; Georgia courts look at voter registration, a Georgia driver's license, in-state employment, and payment of Georgia income taxes. Venue generally lies in the Superior Court of the county where the respondent resides; if the respondent lives out of state, the petitioner files in their own county. Filing fees range from roughly $200 to $256, with most metropolitan counties charging $215–$230, plus service-of-process fees of $50–$100. Low-income filers may waive the fee entirely by submitting an Affidavit of Indigence under O.C.G.A. § 9-15-2 if household income is at or below 125% of federal poverty guidelines ($19,506 for a single person in 2026). As of March 2026. Verify with your local clerk.

Recent Georgia Divorce Records Rules and 2026 Considerations

As of 2026, Georgia's core divorce records framework remains anchored in O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 (Open Records Act) and O.C.G.A. § 9-11-7.1 (redaction, effective 2014). The most significant modern shift is the expansion of E-Access to Court Records through the Georgia Judicial Gateway, which now lets the public search many county records online rather than visiting the clerk in person.

Georgia has not overhauled the public-records presumption for divorce cases, but access methods continue to modernize. The statewide E-Access to Court Records system, administered through georgiacourts.gov, has broadened remote search capability, meaning public divorce filings that once required a courthouse visit are increasingly available online in participating counties. This convenience heightens divorce records privacy concerns, because a name search can surface a decree from anywhere. The redaction rule in O.C.G.A. § 9-11-7.1 also empowers courts to "limit or prohibit a nonparty's remote electronic access" to a filing, a provision that matters more as records go digital. Filers concerned about privacy should confirm that their attorney redacts identifiers before filing, request remote-access limits where warranted, and consider a motion to seal only when genuine harm can be shown. Local court rules in counties such as Fulton, Cobb, and Gwinnett supplement the state framework, so procedures for sealing and redaction vary by jurisdiction. Verify current local rules with your county clerk.