Access Crawford County Divorce Records

Crawford County divorce records are maintained at the Superior Court Clerk's office in Knoxville, which is the official repository for all divorce cases filed in the county. This guide covers how to request Crawford County divorce records, how to search them through the GSCCCA statewide system, what fees apply, and what legal resources are available for residents dealing with a divorce in Crawford County.

Where to Get Crawford County Divorce Records

All Crawford County divorce records are held by the Superior Court Clerk in Knoxville. The clerk's office on East Avenue is where every divorce case in the county is filed and stored. Crawford County is a small rural county in central Georgia, and the clerk's office serves a close community. The volume of divorce filings is modest compared to larger metro counties, which can make individual record requests faster to process.

Georgia's Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 makes divorce records public documents in Georgia. Anyone can request copies of a divorce file from the Crawford County clerk unless the record has been sealed by a court order. Sealed records are rare in standard domestic cases. Both parties to a divorce and third parties may request copies under this law.

Knoxville is a small town in central Georgia, southwest of Macon. The courthouse is on East Avenue, and parking near the building is not an issue given the town's size. If you are traveling from Macon, Warner Robins, or Columbus, it is worth calling ahead at (478) 836-3328 to confirm the record is available before making the drive. Older records from the 1960s and 1970s may require retrieval from archived storage.

The image below shows the Crawford County government website at crawfordcountyga.org, the county's official site for contacting departments including the Superior Court Clerk.

The county website provides contact information and department links for Crawford County residents seeking government services including divorce records.

How to Search Crawford Divorce Records Online

Crawford County participates in the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority at gsccca.org. This free statewide portal lets you search by party name and returns basic case information including case numbers and filing dates. It is the primary online search tool for Crawford County divorce records and does not require an account or a fee to use.

Georgia E-Access at georgiacourts.gov/eaccess-court-records/ provides additional statewide coverage for electronically filed Crawford County cases. Crawford County is a small county, so online coverage is less extensive than in metro counties, but the statewide systems still index most recent filings. For older paper records from before electronic filing, a direct request to the Knoxville clerk is the right approach.

Crawford County does not appear to operate its own separate online case search portal beyond the statewide GSCCCA system. That is the public's primary search tool for this county. If a name-based GSCCCA search comes up empty, call the clerk at (478) 836-3328 and ask about a manual index check. Staff can often confirm whether a case exists in the system before you make the trip to Knoxville.

Note: Because Crawford County is small, its cases may have lighter online coverage for pre-2000 filings than larger Georgia counties. A direct inquiry to the clerk is more reliable than assuming an empty online search means no case exists.

Crawford County Divorce Filing Process

Georgia law at O.C.G.A. § 19-5-1 gives the Superior Court exclusive authority to grant divorces in the state. Crawford County's Superior Court in Knoxville is the only court that can finalize a divorce for county residents. No magistrate or state court handles divorce in Georgia.

Filing location follows O.C.G.A. § 19-5-2, which requires the petition to be filed in the county where the defendant lives. If your spouse lives in Crawford County, you file in Knoxville. The petition is submitted to the clerk on East Avenue. After the defendant is served, a 30-day waiting period begins. For an uncontested case with a full settlement agreement in hand, the divorce can be finalized after that window closes and the judge reviews and approves the agreement.

Contested cases in Crawford County go through a scheduling order and may require mediation before a hearing date is set. Because Crawford County is small, its Superior Court shares circuit judges with neighboring counties. Scheduling may be affected by circuit-wide calendaring. However, small county courts often have shorter backlogs than the metro Atlanta courts when it comes to scheduling contested hearings.

Under O.C.G.A. § 19-5-3, Georgia allows both no-fault and fault-based divorce grounds. Crawford County divorces almost universally use the no-fault ground of irreconcilable differences, which requires no proof of wrongdoing and makes the petition process much simpler. Fault grounds are available but are used only when they affect specific legal outcomes like property division or custody.

Fees for Crawford County Divorce Records

The Crawford County clerk charges fees for copies of divorce records. Plain copies are less expensive. Certified copies carry the court seal and official signature, and they cost more per page. Certified copies are required for legal uses. Contact the clerk at (478) 836-3328 before visiting or sending a mail request to get the current fee amounts and confirm what forms of payment are accepted.

Georgia DPH Vital Records at dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords offers a $10 divorce verification for cases finalized from 1952 through 1996. This is a letter confirming the divorce is in the state database and is not a copy of the actual decree. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-22, Crawford County reports finalized divorces to DPH monthly. For cases in that date range where only basic confirmation is needed, the DPH verification is a convenient and affordable option.

For the full certified decree, contact the Superior Court Clerk in Knoxville. Mail requests should include both parties' names, the approximate divorce year, any known case number, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. In-person requests at 100 East Avenue are generally handled the same day if the file is accessible. For archived records, advance notice helps the clerk retrieve the file before you arrive.

Note: In small county offices like Crawford County's, calling ahead is especially useful since staff may be limited and a heads-up allows them to prepare your request before you arrive.

Legal Resources in Crawford County

Georgia Legal Aid serves central Georgia and provides free civil legal services to qualifying Crawford County residents. As a small rural county, Crawford County has few local private attorneys, making Georgia Legal Aid a critical resource for residents who need legal help with a divorce, custody matter, or protective order. You can apply online or by phone, and appointments may be available by phone or video as well as in person.

The Georgia State Bar's lawyer referral service can help Crawford County residents find a licensed attorney in the region for a reduced-cost initial consultation. Macon, about 25 miles to the northeast, has a substantial legal community with family law practitioners who handle clients from surrounding counties including Crawford. Phone and video consultations are also available through many private attorneys, reducing travel requirements for rural residents.

For those going pro se, Georgia E-Forms provides free standardized forms for uncontested divorces through the state judicial website. The Crawford County clerk's staff in Knoxville can explain which forms are needed and where to file them. For a straightforward uncontested case where both parties agree on all terms, self-representation is a realistic option even in a small county office like Crawford County's. The key is having the correct forms filled out accurately and completely before you file.

Divorce Certificates in Crawford County

There is no separate short-form divorce certificate issued by Georgia courts. The document available from the Crawford County clerk is a certified copy of the full divorce decree. This is the actual court order the judge signed, covering all terms of the divorce. A certified copy carries the court seal and is accepted by all government agencies, financial institutions, and courts in other states as official proof that a divorce occurred.

Georgia DPH verifications cover divorces from 1952 through 1996 and cost $10 at dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords. These are confirmation letters, not decrees. They work for basic personal confirmation but not for legal purposes that require the actual terms of the court order. For anything that needs the full decree, go to the Crawford County clerk in Knoxville.

To request a certified copy of a Crawford County divorce decree, contact the clerk at 100 East Avenue in Knoxville. Visit in person or send a written mail request with both parties' names, the approximate divorce year, any known case number, payment, and a return envelope. The clerk can be reached at (478) 836-3328 with questions about what to include and how long the request will take to process. In-person service is generally faster than mail for small county offices.

Nearby Counties

Crawford County is in central Georgia west of Macon. If a divorce may have been filed in a neighboring county, these links lead to the right records office.