Douglas County
Douglas County is located in the northern part of the State of Georgia. The county was founded in 1870 after the American Civil War and named for Stephen Douglas, the Democratic opponent of Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election. The county seat and the largest city in the county is Douglasville. Douglas County is home to over 140,000 residents.
The courts that make up the court structure in Douglas County include the superior, state, juvenile, probate, magistrate, and municipal courts. The municipal court in Douglasville hears matters of municipal ordinance violations and preliminary hearings for some criminal cases. The magistrate courts have limited jurisdiction over certain types of criminal and civil cases. Magistrate courts handle preliminary hearings in criminal cases and county ordinance violation cases. The civil jurisdiction of the magistrate courts includes most general civil claims where the amount in dispute is $15,000.
Douglas County probate courts have exclusive jurisdiction over cases relating to the probate of wills, the administration of estates, involuntary mental health commitments, and other probate case types. The juvenile court in the county handles juvenile traffic offenses, and cases involving children alleged to be unruly, delinquent, deprived, or in need of treatment due to mental illness.
The state courts handle all civil actions not within the exclusive jurisdiction of the superior courts. Criminal cases heard by this court include misdemeanor criminal cases and traffic offenses. The Douglas County Superior Court is the apex county court. It handles cases beyond the jurisdiction of other courts. The court has a family court division with jurisdiction over divorce and related cases involving children, child abuse, domestic violence, custody, and paternity.
The clerk of court maintains the records of Douglas County courts. You may visit the clerk of superior and state courts to obtain copies of Douglas County court records. The clerk's office is located at:
8700 Hospital Drive
Douglas County Courthouse
Douglasville, GA 30134
Online access to public court records is also available through the Douglas County website. The public may search case information for civil and criminal cases by providing the case number, party name, or filing date of a case.
