Stephens County Court Records in Georgia

Stephens County is located in the northeast region of Georgia. The county is named for Alexander Stephens, the 53rd Governor of Georgia and a former Vice-President of the Confederate States of America. Stephens County is home to over 26,000 residents and its county seat is Toccoa.

Stephens County's trial court system comprises one each of the following courts: municipal court, magistrate court, probate court, juvenile court, state court, and superior court.

The municipal court in Stephens County handles municipal ordinance violations and hears preliminary hearings for some criminal cases. The magistrate courts preside over minor criminal offenses, county ordinance violations, and may issue temporary domestic violence protection orders. The magistrate court also handles most civil claims where the amount in controversy is less than $15,000.

Probate courts in Stephens County have exclusive original jurisdiction over the probate of wills, guardianships, conservatorships, the administration of estates, and other probate matters. The juvenile courts have exclusive original jurisdiction over matters relating to children alleged to be unruly, delinquent, deprived, and in need of treatment due to mental issues. The Stephens County juvenile courts also hear child custody, termination of parental rights, and child support cases.

The state court has limited jurisdiction over some civil and criminal cases. The court handles all civil actions outside the exclusive jurisdiction of the superior court. The superior court is the general jurisdiction court for all civil and criminal matters in the county. It hears cases related to equity, domestic relations, and title to real property. The court has a family division with jurisdiction over divorce cases and other familial cases.

The clerk of the superior court in Stephens County maintains all the county's court records, including criminal, civil, and adoption cases. You can get copies of public Stephens County court records by visiting the office of the clerk of the superior clerk at:

Also, you can view case files from Stephens County courts using the eAccess resource of the Judicial Council of Georgia.