Chatham County Marriage Licenses
Chatham County Probate Court's marriage license page is the local source for license appointments and the online application rule.
The license process is tied to Probate Court, not the Clerk of Superior Court, and Probate Court warns couples not to arrive unprepared or wait until the last minute.
Chatham County Probate Court issues marriage licenses at 133 Montgomery Street, Room 509, Savannah, GA 31401. The main phone is (912) 652-7264. Probate Court processes licenses and permits until 4:30 p.m., and the marriage page says all applicants must make an appointment. Walk-ins are not handled as immediate license applicants; they are directed to the online link so they can make a later appointment.
Georgia eligibility rules still apply. Georgia.gov's marriage license guide says marriage licenses are issued by county probate courts, applicants generally must be at least 18, must be of sound mind, and must not have a living spouse from an undissolved prior marriage. A 17-year-old can receive a Georgia marriage license only if statutory conditions are met. Local procedure matters, so Chatham County's appointment and online application requirements control how the statewide rule is carried out in Savannah.
Apply for Chatham County Marriage Records
The official Chatham County process starts before the appointment. Both applicants should complete the online fillable application, gather proof of identity, and bring prior-marriage documents when a prior marriage ended by divorce or death. A Chatham County government wedding notice described current driver's license or passport, the most recent divorce judgment, or a death certificate as examples of documents applicants should have ready when they apply.
- Complete and submit the online fillable marriage license application linked by Chatham County Probate Court.
- Make a Probate Court appointment for the marriage license visit.
- Have both applicants appear with identification and any prior-marriage proof that applies.
- Pay with an accepted Probate Court method, such as cash, exact money order, cashier's check, Discover, Visa, MasterCard, or debit card.
- After the ceremony, make sure the signed license is returned so the marriage can be recorded.
Probate Court does not accept personal checks. Credit and debit card payments carry a 5% convenience fee, and mailed certified-copy requests require a money order or cashier's check. Those payment rules matter because a request without the correct payment can slow the record process.
Chatham County Marriage Search Fields
The research capture found a Georgia Probate Records marriage search for recorded marriage licenses, but the exact live application fields for the Chatham County license form were not fully captured. The safe approach is to use the official online application for the current form and to bring proof for the facts Probate Court is likely to verify.
| Field or proof | Required status | Chatham County use |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant legal names | Expected | Used to issue and later search the recorded marriage license. |
| Current identification | Expected | A driver's license or passport was named in local notice material. |
| Prior divorce judgment | If applicable | Used when the most recent prior marriage ended in divorce. |
| Prior spouse death certificate | If applicable | Used when a prior marriage ended because the spouse died. |
| Appointment details | Required locally | Chatham County Probate Court uses appointment-only license processing. |
Georgia's statewide marriage license page is useful for statewide eligibility, but it does not replace Chatham County Probate Court's local appointment process.
The statewide page helps confirm the court class, while the Chatham County Probate Court page controls the local appointment and application sequence.
Chatham County Marriage Record Fees
Marriage-copy fees in the research come from the Chatham County Probate Record Room and Georgia Probate Records copy channel. The underlying marriage license fee itself was not located in the captured official text, so it should be confirmed with Probate Court before the appointment. Known copy and payment rules are specific enough to plan certified-copy requests.
| Item | Amount or rule |
|---|---|
| Digital certified marriage copy | $18.00 plus 5% convenience fee |
| Mailed or staff-assisted Probate Record Room research | $10.00 research fee |
| Probate certified copy, one page | $10.00 process/certified copy |
| Probate certified copy, more than one page | $10.00 plus $1.00 per page |
| Uncertified probate copy | $1.00 per page |
| Card payment | 5% convenience fee; no American Express; no personal checks |
| Divorce filing or divorce decree copy | Not located in captured research; confirm with the Clerk of Superior Court |
Use exact payment instructions from Probate Court for mail orders. The research states that mailed marriage and estate copy requests must include a money order or cashier's check, and all Probate Court fees are nonrefundable.
Search Chatham County Marriage Records
Georgia Probate Records provides the recorded marriage-license search used for Chatham County marriage records, with Chatham available in the county dropdown.
The portal is best for locating recorded marriage-license entries before ordering a certified copy or contacting the Probate Record Room.
The captured search inventory identifies the county dropdown, applicant search criteria, and search/reset controls. Exact live field labels beyond the county and applicant criteria were not fully captured, so searches should be checked against the current portal screen. If the online search does not locate the record, use Probate Court's Record Room by appointment or a mail request with the correct fee.
| Search field | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| County | Dropdown | Includes Chatham County among Georgia counties. |
| Applicant names or criteria | Text | Used to locate recorded marriage-license entries. |
| Search / Reset | Button controls | Exact labels should be checked on the live portal. |
Certified Chatham County Marriage Copies
FeePayOnline is linked for Georgia Probate Records certified marriage copy payment and supports the digital certified copy route documented by Chatham County Probate Court.
The online payment option is only one channel; mail and appointment requests remain important when a copy request needs staff review.
Certified marriage copies can be requested online as a digital certified copy, by mail through the Probate Record Room, or in person by appointment. The mail path requires the proper request form and a money order or cashier's check. Appointment requests go through the Probate Record Room at 133 Montgomery Street, Room 509, Savannah, GA 31401. For research questions, the research file identifies Probate's main number, (912) 652-7264, with option 1 for research and records.
Certified copies are different from a search result. A search result may help identify a recorded license, but a certified copy carries the court certification needed for many legal and administrative uses.
Find Chatham County Divorce Records
Divorce records are not Probate Court marriage records. In Georgia, divorce is a Superior Court matter, so Chatham County divorce records route to the Superior Court and the Clerk of Superior Court. Public case lookup may start through re:SearchGA or the local Odyssey access route, but the Superior Clerk warns that scanned filing images are not displayed on the public internet because filings can contain identity-theft data.
A divorce file may include the complaint, service papers, answer, temporary orders, settlement agreement, child custody or support filings, final decree, contempt motions, and modification motions. Some family material may be sealed or redacted, especially where minors, financial identifiers, protected addresses, or safety concerns are involved. Adoption records should not be treated as ordinary public divorce or family files.
For certified divorce copies or older files, use the Clerk of Superior Court at 400 W. Oglethorpe Avenue, Suite 178, Savannah, GA 31401, phone (912) 434-8920. Civil and family filings can use eFile Georgia when eligible, but the clerk cannot give legal advice and some filings still require the counter or case-specific handling.
Marriage Records and Other Files
Georgia DDS online MVR access is a separate driver-record channel and is not a source for Chatham County marriage or divorce records.
The DDS record channel helps show why family records should be requested from Probate Court or Superior Court, not from unrelated state databases.
Use the court that created the family record. Probate Court handles marriage licenses and certified marriage records. Superior Court handles divorce cases and divorce decrees. State agency portals can be useful for other records, but they do not replace the court office that issued or filed the Chatham County family record.
Note: If a Chatham County divorce record involves sealed family material, the public case entry may exist even when some documents are unavailable online.