Effingham County Court Records

Effingham County court records document various legal proceedings within the county's jurisdiction. They typically include the following:

• Case files and documents
• Court transcripts
• Judgments and orders
• Motions and pleadings
• Exhibits and evidence
• Witness statements and depositions
• Court schedules and dockets

When compiled with other Georgia court records, the county’s case files can be used for historical record-keeping, legal research, case preparation, genealogical research, verification of court decisions, and journalism research. Access to the county’s court records promotes the integrity and transparency of the county’s judicial system. Examples of Effingham County court records include the following:

• Civil court records
• Criminal court records
• Family court records
• Probate court records
• Traffic court records
• Juvenile court records

Are Court Records Public in Effingham County?

Court records can be accessed by the public in Effingham County. The Georgia Open Records Act permits members of the public to access and request copies of non-exempt court records from the county. Some court records in the county are exempted from public access by law or court orders to preserve privacy and protect sensitive information. Such confidential court records include the following:

• Most juvenile records
• Adoption records
• Medical and mental health records
• Active financial information
• Information about confidential informants and jurors

Effingham County Court Records Search

Court records in Effingham County can be searched onsite and online. Persons interested in obtaining the county’s court records can visit the courts where the records originated from to make their requests. They can use online search resources provided by the county and state to search for court records from the county. In addition, some third-party search resources may be used to obtain Effingham County court records. They often provide faster and more convenient means of accessing the county’s public court records. However, the information they provide may not be up-to-date or accurate.

Effingham County Courts

The court system in Effingham County comprises the Superior, State, Juvenile, Probate, Magistrate, and Municipal courts. The Effingham County Superior Court is the principal court in the county. It handles cases beyond the jurisdiction of other courts. Typically, the court hears felonies, equity, domestic relations, and real property cases. The State Court of Effingham County handles misdemeanors, traffic violations, and civil cases outside the exclusive jurisdiction of the Superior Court.

All cases involving children are handled by the Effingham County Juvenile Court, while all probate matters are heard by the Effingham County Probate Court. The Effingham County Magistrate Court handles cases that do not require jury trials, including traffic violations, ordinance infractions, preliminary hearings, landlord-tenant issues, and civil cases with under $15,000 claims. Municipal courts in the county hear municipal ordinance violations in their jurisdictions. Below are the locations and contact information of the courts in Effingham County:

Effingham County Superior Court
Effingham County Judicial Complex
700 North Pine Street
Suite 110
Springfield, GA 31329
Phone: (912) 754-2118

State Court of Effingham County
Effingham County Judicial Complex
700 North Pine Street
Suite 110
Springfield, GA 31329
Phone: (912) 754-2118

Effingham County Juvenile Court
Effingham County Judicial Complex
700 North Pine Street
Suite 110
Springfield, GA 31329
Phone: (912) 754-2146

Probate Court of Effingham County
Effingham County Judicial Complex
700 North Pine Street
Suite 146
Springfield, GA 31329
Phone: (912) 754-2112
Fax: (912) 754-3894

Magistrate Court of Effingham County
Effingham County Judicial Complex
700 North Pine Street
Suite 250
Springfield, GA 31329
Phone: (912) 754-2124
Fax: (912) 754-4893

Municipal Court of Guyton
310 Central Boulevard
Guyton, GA 31312
Phone: (912) 772-8745

Municipal Court of Rincon
107 West 117th Street
Rincon, GA 31326
Phone: (912) 826-5665
Fax: (912) 826-0876

Municipal Court of Springfield
130 South Laurel Street
Springfield, GA 31329
Phone: (912) 754-3061

Effingham County Criminal Records

Criminal records are maintained by law enforcement agencies, courts, and correctional facilities, and they consist of arrest information, court records, probation records, incarceration records, parole information, and release records. Effingham County arrest records and other criminal records are generated by law enforcement agencies such as the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia State Patrol, and the Georgia Department of Corrections. These records are maintained by the Georgia Crime Information Center under the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Persons interested in obtaining Effingham County criminal records must submit completed, notarized Consent Forms to the Effingham County Warrant Division at:

Effingham County Warrant Division
500 West First Street
Springfield, GA 31329
Phone: (912) 754-3449

Get Effingham County Civil Court Records

Civil court records in Effingham County consist of records gathered from civil cases such as torts, professional malpractices, probate, domestic relations, contract breaches, and employment disputes. These records originate from the county’s Superior, State, Juvenile, Probate, and Magistrate Courts. Most Effingham County civil court records are public records and may be accessed by members of the public.

The Effingham County Clerk of Courts is the primary custodian of civil court records in the county. Record seekers can visit the Clerk of Courts office to examine or request copies of public civil court records from the county. Alternatively, they can access the county’s civil court records via the county-provided Courts CMWS Portal or the state-provided re:SearchGA platform.

Effingham County Marriage Records

In Effingham County, marriage records are typically open to the public unless sealed by court orders. The Georgia State Office of Vital Records maintains the county’s marriage records. Persons interested in obtaining marriage certificates must provide legitimate reasons for the request. They may request marriage records by visiting the local vital records office at:

Effingham County (Health Department)
700 North Pine Street
Suite 146
Springfield, GA 31329
Phone: (912) 754-2112

An Effingham marriage record request can also be mailed to the State Office of Vital Records at:

State Office of Vital Records
1680 Phoenix Boulevard
Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30349

Effingham County Divorce Records

Divorce records in Effingham County are generally public records and available to the public. However, some portions of divorce records may be sealed by court orders. The Effingham County Clerk of Courts maintains the county’s divorce records. Interested persons can contact the Clerk of Courts’ office to examine or request divorce records from the county.

Effingham Birth and Death Records

Per the Georgia Open Records Act, birth and death records are open to the public in Effingham County. These records are useful for demographic, statistical, epidemiology study, identification verification, historical, and planning purposes. The Georgia State Office of Vital Records maintains the county’s birth and death records from 1919 to date. Record seekers can contact the Office of Vital Records to access Effingham County birth and death records. Birth and death records before1919 may be found in the Georgia Archives.

Effingham County Probate Court Records

The Effingham County Probate Court handles all probate matters, such as mental institution commitments, wills, estates, trusts, conservatorships, and guardianships. The Clerk of the Probate Court maintains the county’s probate court records. Effingham County probate court records are public and may be accessed by anyone except where they are marked as confidential by court orders. Persons interested in the county’s probate court records can contact the court. They can also use the Georgia Probate Records search tool to find probate court records from the county.

Effingham County Property Records

Effingham property records can be obtained from the Effingham County Assessor’s Office and the Effingham Clerk of Courts. Interested persons can access the county’s property records online via the Assessor's Office QPublic platform and the Georgia Superior Court Clerk’s Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA) Real Estate search tool. The search can be done by name, address, and parcel number.

Effingham County property records are official documents that provide comprehensive information about properties within the county. These records serve various purposes, including tax assessment, property evaluation, zoning planning, and mortgage applications. They comprise essential details such as property location, size, boundaries, deeds, titles, value assessment, liens, mortgage documents, easements, plats, surveys, and zoning permits.

Effingham County Court Records Online

It is possible to obtain Effingham County court records through third-party online resources such as georgiacourtrecords.us. These resources are easily accessible from any location electronically, which saves time and effort for those who are unable to visit the courthouse in person. Additionally, third-party platforms have user-friendly interfaces that enable users to quickly search for cases or individuals across multiple jurisdictions. However, since these platforms are not affiliated with any government agency, the accuracy or reliability of their information is not guaranteed.