Decatur County Civil Court Records

Decatur County civil court records are kept by the Superior Court Clerk in Bainbridge, Georgia. The county is one of 25 counties participating in re:SearchGA, which means you can search Decatur County civil case filings, dockets, and court documents online without making a trip to the courthouse. This page explains how to find civil court records in Decatur County, what search tools are available, how to request copies, and where to go when you need more than a basic case lookup.

Decatur County Superior Court Clerk

The Decatur County Superior Court Clerk in Bainbridge is the official custodian of civil court records for this county. All civil case filings, judgments, orders, and related documents are filed with and maintained by this office. The clerk's office is located at the Decatur County Courthouse in Bainbridge, which serves as the county seat. For in-person visits, plan to go during standard courthouse hours on weekdays. Staff can assist you in locating civil court records by case number, party name, or filing date.

Civil cases filed in Decatur County Superior Court cover a range of dispute types. Contract claims, real property actions, tort suits, civil rights matters, domestic cases, and large-dollar claims are all part of the Superior Court civil docket. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-6-94, the Superior Court Clerk is responsible for accepting, indexing, and maintaining civil filings. Each new civil case must include a case filing information form under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-7.1. This form helps the clerk index the record and keeps personal identifiers out of the public file.

The GSCCCA profile page for Decatur County, shown below, lists the clerk office contact details and links to county-specific resources. You can reach the GSCCCA at their statewide line if you need help finding the right contact for a Decatur County civil court record.

This profile page is a starting point for finding direct contact information for the Decatur County Superior Court Clerk, including the office address and phone number for civil records requests.

Search Decatur County Records on re:SearchGA

Decatur County is one of 25 Georgia counties in the re:SearchGA platform. This is a Tyler Technologies case management system that gives online access to civil case information across multiple counties at once. When you search re:SearchGA for a Decatur County case, you can pull up party names, case types, filing dates, hearing schedules, and case status without calling the clerk's office or driving to Bainbridge.

The platform supports several search methods. You can look up a case by party name, attorney name, case number, or judge name. It also lets you set up alerts so you get notified when new activity is posted on a case you are tracking. Attorneys who are on record in a Decatur County civil case can access free document viewing through re:SearchGA. Pro se parties who filed electronically through Odyssey eFileGA also qualify for free document access. Others can view document images for a fee.

The re:SearchGA contact line is (844) 307-8720 and the support email is research.support@tylertech.com if you run into trouble with searches or account setup. This system is particularly useful if you are researching civil cases that involve parties from both Decatur County and another re:SearchGA county, since you can run one search across multiple counties at once.

Note: re:SearchGA provides case index information and document images for participating courts. For older Decatur County civil court records that predate the system, you will need to contact the clerk's office directly.

GSCCCA Tools for Decatur County Civil Records

The GSCCCA search portal covers recorded instruments from all 159 Georgia counties, including Decatur. When a civil judgment in Decatur County Superior Court is recorded as a lien or when property changes hands as part of a civil settlement, the recorded documents appear in the GSCCCA database. You can search by name, instrument type, date range, or book and page number. This is useful when you need to know whether a civil judgment has been recorded against real property in Decatur County.

The GSCCCA also operates several tools that connect to civil court records. The FANS system at fans.gsccca.org lets Decatur County property owners sign up for free alerts when documents are recorded in their name. This is a practical tool for anyone involved in civil litigation that might result in a judgment lien against property in the county. The eCertification portal lets you request certified copies of recorded documents from Decatur County without visiting the clerk's office in Bainbridge.

For recorded civil judgments, you can also use the GSCCCA premium search to pull a full history of instruments filed in Decatur County. Premium accounts cost $29.95 per month per user as of July 2025. If you only need an occasional search, the regular account tier at $14.95 per month may be enough for basic civil court records research in Decatur County.

Civil Court Structure in Decatur County

Decatur County's civil court system follows the standard Georgia structure. The Superior Court in Bainbridge has general jurisdiction and handles all civil cases above the Magistrate Court's dollar limit. This includes contract disputes, property actions, malpractice cases, civil appeals, and domestic matters. The Superior Court Clerk maintains all civil filings, issues orders and judgments, and is the office you contact when you need official records from these cases.

The Magistrate Court handles civil claims up to $15,000, landlord-tenant disputes, dispossessory actions, and small claims matters. If a Magistrate Court case is appealed, the record moves to Superior Court, which adds to the Superior Court's civil docket. The Probate Court in Decatur County handles estate matters, guardianship, and some civil petitions, though the Superior Court Clerk maintains separate records from probate filings. Knowing which court handled the matter helps you look in the right place when searching Decatur County civil court records.

Georgia's Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. §§ 50-18-70 through 50-18-74 governs public access to civil court records in Decatur County. All civil records are presumed public unless a court has issued an order limiting access under Uniform Superior Court Rule 21. Any request to seal civil court records requires a court finding that the harm to a person's privacy clearly outweighs the public's interest in access.

Filing Civil Cases and Getting Copies

Civil cases in Decatur County Superior Court can be filed in person at the clerk's office in Bainbridge or electronically through the Odyssey eFileGA system at efilega.tylertech.cloud. Georgia attorneys are generally required to file electronically. Self-represented parties may file by paper at the courthouse or through the eFileGA portal if they prefer the electronic route. The eFileGA system is available around the clock and sends email updates on filing status.

When you need copies of Decatur County civil court records, plain copies carry a standard per-page fee. Certified copies cost more. You can request copies in person at the Bainbridge courthouse or by mail with payment. For recorded documents, the GSCCCA eCertification portal at ecert.gsccca.org provides certified digital copies that are tamper-proof and self-validating, which saves a trip to Decatur County. Standard copy fees under Georgia law are typically around $0.10 per page for plain copies. The clerk's office can confirm exact fees for the type of record you need.

Related Records and Research Tools

Civil court records in Decatur County connect to several other record types. Property records tied to civil judgments and liens are recorded with the clerk and accessible through the GSCCCA search portal. UCC filings, security deeds, and lien instruments all appear in the GSCCCA database and often relate to civil disputes over debt or property in Decatur County. Checking GSCCCA alongside re:SearchGA gives a more complete view of the full civil record picture.

For fines and fees data across Georgia courts, CourtTRAX tracks daily reports and provides an online fee calculator. The Georgia Courts e-access portal links out to various provider websites including re:SearchGA for counties like Decatur. If you are looking for legal help in Decatur County, Georgia Legal Aid serves residents in this area. The Georgia State Bar at gabar.org has a lawyer referral service for those who need legal representation in civil matters before the Decatur County Superior Court.

Nearby Counties

Decatur County borders several southwest Georgia counties. Civil cases must be filed where the dispute arose or where the defendant resides, so nearby county records may be relevant if you are unsure which court has jurisdiction.