Thomas County
Thomas County occupies a land area of about 545 square miles in southern Georgia. It was founded in 1825 from territories owned by Irwin and Decatur Counties with its name given to honor Jett Thomas, a former member of the Georgia House of Representatives. The county is home to more than 45,000 residents, and its county seat is Thomasville.
Thomas County courts include the Superior, State, Juvenile, Probate, Magistrate, and Municipal Courts. The Superior Court presides over all felony trials, land title disputes, and civil equity cases. It also addresses family law cases such as divorces, domestic violence issues, child custody cases, and parentage actions. Meanwhile, Thomas County's State Court hears misdemeanors, traffic offenses, and civil actions not exclusive to the apex court. The Juvenile Court handles judicial hearings involving truancy, child dependency, and juvenile delinquency, while the Probate Court in Thomas County oversees probate cases such as contested wills and guardianships. The county's Magistrate Court often decides bail and search warrant hearings. Thomas County's Municipal Courts have jurisdiction over criminal preliminary hearings and civil violations.
Thomas County public court records, maintained by official record custodians, typically document judicial proceedings in the county's trial courts. These documents include details such as party names, case filings, testimony, evidence, judgments, writs, motions, sheriff and constable files, witness lists, complaints, and attorney lists. The Thomas County Clerk of Courts typically keeps documents filed in the Superior and State Courts. According to the Georgia Open Records Act, the clerk can provide the following court records to members of the public:
- Civil records
- Probate records
- Traffic records
- Criminal records
- Land records
- Family law records
Records containing mental health, juvenile, and adoption cases are exempted from the state's public records law. Those seeking access to confidential court records must obtain court approval before visiting the clerk's office. To get copies of public court records in Thomas County, requesters can contact the Court Clerk at:
Thomas County Courthouse
225 North Broad Street
Thomasville, GA 31792
Phone: (229) 225-4108
Requesters can find Thomas County court records online using the re:SearchGA portal. Note that accessing online records through the county's platforms is free of charge, but obtaining court documents at the Clerk's Office costs $0.50 per page.
