Clarke County, Georgia Public Records

Investigations closed

86

Back wages agreed

$1,484,236

Workers due back wages

1,650

Civil money penalties

$16,611

Employers on the record

74

The 25 employers with the most back wages agreed, of 74 on the Clarke County record; 20 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record here. The 49 more with smaller records are on the Georgia wage theft records page, whose search answers for every employer in the state.

Athens-Clarke County records by court, department and document

Start with the court named on the case

The Clerk of Superior and State Courts keeps the official civil and criminal records filed in those two courts. Identify which court handled the matter, then provide the parties, case number and the document or disposition needed. A police report, court docket and certified judgment are different records. For a Magistrate, Municipal or Probate matter, use that court's own office. The county court directory describes each court and the Clerk's custody responsibilities.

Georgia's E-Access directory lists Clarke State and Clarke Superior separately and sends readers to the relevant provider. The directory says an account is required to search. It is a route to court services, not proof that every filing or restricted case is publicly displayed. If a document is absent, ask the filing clerk using its case identifier. Begin with the Judicial Council court-access directory.

Choose the deed record and the copy product

For older Clarke deeds, the Clerk identifies Kofile coverage from 1801 to 1984. Registration is free, but the office says images remain distorted until purchased. Keep the book and page or instrument reference from your search and distinguish an index entry from the purchased document image. Modern recording and historical research can follow different services. The Clerk's official page links the historical deed service and gives the courthouse contact.

The published Clerk schedule lists an unassisted copy at $0.50 per page, assisted or mailed copies at $1, and certified copies at $2.50 for the first page plus $0.50 for subsequent pages. A deed recording has a separate flat $25 listing; that figure is not a first-page copy price. Faxed, electronic and computer-printout products have other rates. Specify the requested format and certification when consulting the Clerk's fee schedule.

Carry the parcel identifier into the document search

The Tax Assessor values property and maintains the assessment digest. Use its official parcel-information link to identify the parcel and keep the assessment year with any valuation. Then use the recorded deed when the question concerns the language of a transfer or a recorded interest. A tax account, an assessed value and a deed serve different purposes. The Assessor and Tax Commissioner also occupy different courthouse suites and perform different work. Begin an appraisal or parcel question with the Tax Assessor's service description and contact listing.

Separate estate proceedings from marriage certificates

Probate Court handles estate and fiduciary matters, including the administration of decedents' estates and guardianship proceedings. Ask for an identified estate, petition or order, using the decedent's or party's full name and an approximate filing period. The office also handles marriage-license applications, which have a narrower intake window than general office hours. Its case-status link and service scope are on the Probate Court page.

For an existing marriage certificate, the court lists $10 per copy and requires the names as used on the application and the marriage date. It can supply the local certificate only when the license was obtained from Athens-Clarke County Probate Court. For mail, include a return address and contact information. Follow the marriage-certificate request instructions.

Use the local vital-records registrar for certificates

In Clarke County, the Health Department is the registrar for birth and death certificates. Its district service page lists $25 for a certificate and requires a signed request, identification and the appropriate applicant relationship or record-access basis. Local offices can obtain Georgia certificates from other counties. An online ROVER order, however, is handled and mailed by the state office; it is not a local pickup reservation. Read the Northeast Health District certificate instructions before selecting an order method.

The Clarke vital-records counter is at 345 North Harris Street. Its listed schedule extends later on Tuesday and ends earlier on Friday; it closes for lunch from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Use the vital-records telephone, 706-389-6871, instead of assuming that a clinic appointment line handles certificate questions. Check the Clarke location listing for that service and posted closures.

Identify which agency created the record

The Police Records Management Unit keeps current and historical crime and traffic files generated by the department. Supply the report number, incident date and location when possible. An officer's report and a later court disposition may need separate requests. The unit provides an official request link through its records-management description.

The Sheriff handles criminal warrants, civil papers, prisoner transport, courthouse security and jail responsibilities. Its courthouse office and jail are separate destinations. A request about civil service should identify the paper and parties; a custody inquiry should use the booking or inmate identifier. The Sheriff's official service information distinguishes these functions.

The Sheriff lists a $20 criminal-history service. Its weekday fingerprint window ends at 4 p.m., and a criminal-history request made after that time is picked up the following business day. This local service price does not establish the charge for every statewide or federal background-check product. Consult the Sheriff service schedule and payment instructions.

Route administrative requests by the department

Athens-Clarke assigns separate records contacts to Police/Corrections, the Sheriff, Tax Commissioner/Assessor, and two groups of other departments. Choose the group that holds the record and describe a document category, date range and subject. For example, a planning file and a commission finance record go through different listed groups. The official page allows the portal or email to the specified officer. Use the department-by-department Open Records contact list.

Stored administrative records can require a scheduled search. Internal Support says public record searches are by appointment, arranged at 706-613-3551. Identify the originating office and record series before calling, so the requested files can be located. That appointment route is described under Internal Support records management.

Keep the response deadline separate from delivery

The Georgia Attorney General explains the three-business-day response framework. If responsive records cannot be produced within that period, the agency must provide written information about timing, cost and any applicable withholding authority. Keep that response with the request and identify any missing record category in a follow-up. A document-copy fee and staff search or redaction charges are separate considerations. The Attorney General's Open Government answers explain the response and estimate requirements. Asking for an available electronic record can also make the requested product more definite.