Find Civil Court Records in Canton

Civil court records for Canton are filed with the Cherokee County Superior Court Clerk, located at the Cherokee County Courthouse on North Street in Canton.

Cherokee County Superior Court Clerk

Canton is the county seat of Cherokee County, so the Cherokee County Superior Court Clerk office is based here. All civil court filings for Cherokee County, including cases tied to Canton addresses and parties, are maintained by the clerk at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 90 North Street, Canton, GA 30114. The clerk's office holds civil case files, docket sheets, judgment records, and recorded instruments for the county.

Civil cases in Cherokee County Superior Court cover a broad range of disputes. Contract claims, personal injury lawsuits, property boundary disagreements, debt collection actions, business disputes, and civil appeals from Magistrate Court all produce civil court records through the clerk's office. Because Canton is the county seat, many of these cases directly name Canton parties or Canton properties as the subject of the dispute.

Magistrate Court handles civil claims up to $15,000, plus landlord-tenant matters and eviction proceedings. Smaller civil cases filed in Magistrate Court are separate from Superior Court records and use a different docket. The Cherokee County Probate Court also generates civil-adjacent records, including guardianship petitions and estate matters. Canton residents dealing with those record types should contact the Probate Court separately.

The clerk's office can be reached by phone for questions about civil case records, copy requests, and filing procedures. Staff can confirm whether a case exists in the system and give you the case number needed to pull records in person or through the online case search tools described below.

re:SearchGA Online Case Search

Cherokee County participates in the re:SearchGA statewide case management portal, which gives you online access to civil court dockets without going to the courthouse. The system is run by Tyler Technologies under contract with the Georgia court system.

The re:SearchGA portal below is the main online tool for finding civil case records tied to Canton and Cherokee County. Search by party name or case number to pull up docket entries, case status, and court dates.

re:SearchGA lets you search Cherokee County civil case dockets by party name or case number, view case status, and check hearing dates for civil matters tied to Canton.

Access re:SearchGA at researchga.tylerhost.net. Select Cherokee County from the county list, then enter the party name or case number you want to look up. The portal covers Superior Court, State Court, Magistrate Court, and Probate Court dockets depending on what each county has connected to the system. Results show the case type, filing date, parties involved, and a docket history of entries made in the case. This is free to use and does not require an account for basic searches.

When a civil dispute crosses county lines, re:SearchGA is especially useful. You can search multiple counties at once without switching between different county websites. For a Canton case that also involves a party in Cobb or Bartow County, this is a faster approach than trying to navigate each county clerk site separately.

GSCCCA Portal for Recorded Civil Instruments

The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority runs a separate online system at gsccca.org that covers recorded instruments rather than case dockets. This is the right tool when you need to find judgment liens, security deeds, lis pendens filings, financing statements, or UCC records tied to Canton properties or parties.

The GSCCCA portal shown below is the statewide database for recorded civil instruments filed with Georgia Superior Court Clerks, including Cherokee County.

The GSCCCA system covers Cherokee County recorded instruments, including civil judgment liens filed against Canton properties. Document images are available for most records.

Use GSCCCA when you need to know if a civil judgment has been recorded as a lien against a Canton property. After a plaintiff wins a civil judgment in Cherokee County Superior Court, the judgment may be recorded with the clerk as a lien under the debtor's name. GSCCCA lets you search by name or property address to find those liens. The system also shows security deeds, which reflect mortgage and financing arrangements recorded against real estate in Cherokee County.

The FANS service at fans.gsccca.org is free for Canton property owners who want an alert when any instrument is recorded against their property in Cherokee County. This is a practical tool for homeowners who want to watch for unexpected liens or encumbrances filed against their address without running a manual search each time.

GSCCCA is free to search and does not need an account. Document images are available at no charge for most recorded instruments in Cherokee County. Some older or pre-digitized records may require an in-person request at the clerk's office.

How to File or Request Civil Records in Canton

Civil filings in Cherokee County Superior Court go through the statewide eFileGA system at efilega.tylertech.cloud. Licensed attorneys in Georgia must use this electronic filing platform for civil case submissions. Self-represented parties, sometimes called pro se filers, can submit paper documents in person at the clerk's counter at 90 North Street.

When filing a new civil case, you will need the correct civil case cover sheet, the complaint or petition, and the filing fee. Fee amounts vary by case type. The Cherokee County Superior Court Clerk can give you the current fee schedule for civil filings. Fees can typically be paid at the counter by cash, check, or money order. Confirm accepted payment methods before you go.

To get copies of existing civil court records in Canton, you have a few options. The fastest is to use the re:SearchGA or GSCCCA online systems to view or print available digital records at no charge. For certified copies or documents not available online, go to the clerk's office in person. Bring the case number if you have it. If you only have a party name or approximate date, staff can search the index to find the right case file.

Certified copies carry the clerk's seal and are needed for legal use, such as submitting a judgment to another court or proving a lien has been satisfied. Regular uncertified copies are cheaper and fine for personal reference. The Cherokee County clerk charges per-page copy fees set by state law. Call the clerk's office to confirm current copy rates before your visit so you bring the right amount.

Mail requests are an option for some records. Send a written request with the case number, the documents you need, and a check for the estimated copy fee. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want the copies mailed back. Processing times for mail requests vary. In-person visits tend to be faster for most civil record needs in Cherokee County.

Georgia Open Records Act and Access Rights

Civil court records in Canton and all of Cherokee County are public records. Georgia law at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 gives any person the right to inspect and copy public records, including civil case files held by the Cherokee County Superior Court Clerk. You do not need to be a party to the case. You do not need to explain why you want the records.

There are limits. Some civil records are sealed by court order, and some case types involve confidential information that is removed or redacted before public access. Adoption records and some juvenile-related civil matters are closed under Georgia law. Mental health civil proceedings have restricted access as well. If a document has been sealed in a Cherokee County civil case, the clerk will tell you that access is not available without going into why the record was sealed.

For most civil court records in Canton, though, the process is straightforward. Walk in during business hours, give the clerk the case information, and request the records you need. The Open Records Act requires the clerk to respond to requests within three business days, though most records available in the system can be pulled the same day you ask.

The Cherokee County clerk's office is also subject to the Open Records Act itself, meaning you can request the clerk's own administrative records in some cases. For civil court records specifically, the statute at O.C.G.A. § 15-6-61 governs how the clerk must index and maintain civil case records, and those indexed records are part of the public record available for inspection.

Nearby Cities

Civil cases in this area are filed based on where the defendant lives or where the dispute occurred. These nearby cities may also have relevant court records.