Taylor County Civil Court Records

Taylor County civil court records are kept by the Superior Court Clerk in Butler, Georgia. The Superior Court serves as the main court of general jurisdiction in Taylor County, handling contract disputes, property claims, and other civil matters filed by residents and businesses throughout the county. You can request records in person at the courthouse in Butler, search statewide databases online, or contact the clerk's office directly for help locating a specific civil case. This page covers how civil records work in Taylor County and where to find them.

Taylor County Superior Court Clerk

The Superior Court Clerk in Butler is the official keeper of civil court records in Taylor County. All civil filings go through this office, which indexes and stores them as part of the permanent public record. The clerk's office is located at the Taylor County Courthouse on Butler's main square. If you need to look up a civil case, request a copy of a document, or confirm a filing date, the clerk's office is your first stop.

The clerk handles a broad range of civil court records in Taylor County. These include breach of contract claims, personal injury suits, property disputes, civil judgments, and recorded liens. When a civil judgment is entered in Taylor County Superior Court, the clerk records it, and it becomes part of the public docket. That record then affects any property the losing party owns in the county, since liens filed after a judgment attach to real estate. The clerk also processes foreign judgments brought from other states or counties and recorded in Taylor County.

Taylor County is part of the Flint Judicial Circuit, which means it shares circuit-level judicial resources with neighboring counties. The circuit judge travels to Taylor County on a set court schedule. The clerk can tell you when the next civil court term is set and what matters will be heard. Most routine civil matters in Taylor County, including small claims and landlord-tenant cases, are heard in Magistrate Court, which keeps its own records separate from Superior Court.

Note: Taylor County does not have a dedicated online case search portal. Civil records must be accessed through the GSCCCA statewide system or in person at the Butler courthouse.

Civil Records Handled in Taylor County

Civil court records in Taylor County cover a wide range of case types. The Superior Court handles the largest and most complex civil matters. That includes contract disputes where the amount in question exceeds the Magistrate Court limit, property boundary disputes, title claims, civil actions seeking injunctive relief, malpractice suits, and appeals from lower courts. The clerk files and indexes all documents submitted in these cases, creating a record that stays open to the public under Georgia's Open Records Act.

Recorded documents are a separate category from active civil case files. When a creditor wins a civil judgment and wants it to attach to the debtor's property in Taylor County, they file the judgment with the Superior Court Clerk. That recorded document appears in the GSCCCA land records system and shows up in title searches. Security deeds, liens, and UCC filings related to civil matters are also recorded through the clerk's office. These records are maintained in the deed and lien indexes, which are distinct from the civil case docket but are closely related when civil disputes involve real property.

Magistrate Court in Taylor County handles civil claims up to $15,000. These small civil cases, including landlord-tenant disputes and debt collection actions under the dollar cap, are filed directly with the Magistrate Court clerk. If a Magistrate Court decision is appealed, it moves to Superior Court, and that appeal becomes a civil court record in Taylor County's Superior Court docket.

Online Access to Taylor County Civil Records

The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority runs the main statewide platform for accessing civil court records. The GSCCCA search portal at gsccca.org covers recorded documents from Taylor County, including civil judgments, liens, security deeds, and other instruments filed with the Superior Court Clerk. Searching is straightforward. You enter a party name or document type and the system returns matching instruments from Taylor County's recorded document index.

The GSCCCA portal shown below is operated by the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority and provides online access to recorded civil documents from counties across Georgia, including Taylor County.

The GSCCCA also runs eCertification at ecert.gsccca.org. This service lets you order certified copies of recorded documents from Taylor County without making the trip to Butler. You pay online and receive a certified electronic copy that carries the same legal weight as a copy obtained at the clerk's counter. This is useful when you need certified proof of a judgment or lien from Taylor County for use in another proceeding.

For civil case docket information, the statewide re:SearchGA system aggregates case records from participating Georgia courts. Taylor County's participation level may be limited, but it is worth checking re:SearchGA for civil case summaries before making an in-person trip to Butler.

Fraud Alerts and Property Records

The GSCCCA operates a free property fraud alert service called FANS at fans.gsccca.org. Taylor County property owners can sign up to get an email or text message any time a new document is recorded against their property in the county. This is useful for catching unauthorized liens or fraudulent deed recordings that might otherwise go unnoticed for months. The service is free and runs automatically based on name matching against new recordings in the Taylor County deed index.

The search portal shown here lets users look up recorded instruments and civil judgments across Georgia counties including Taylor County.

When a civil judgment is recorded in Taylor County and the property owner did not know about it, the FANS alert system can provide early notice. Property owners who discover an unauthorized recording can then act quickly to dispute it. The clerk's office can advise on the process for removing improper instruments from the Taylor County deed records.

Georgia Open Records Act and Copy Fees

Civil court records in Taylor County are public records under the Georgia Open Records Act, codified at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq. Any person has the right to inspect and copy these records. The clerk's office must respond to a records request within three business days. Most civil case files in Taylor County can be reviewed at the courthouse without an appointment, though calling ahead is a good idea given the small staff size.

Copy fees apply to document requests. The standard rate for plain copies in Georgia Superior Courts is $0.25 per page. Certified copies cost more, typically $2.50 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page. Exemplified copies, which carry a higher level of authentication, cost more still. For the exact current fee schedule in Taylor County, contact the Superior Court Clerk directly. The GSCCCA eCertification portal may charge a different rate for electronic certified copies ordered online.

Note: If a Taylor County civil record is sealed by court order or involves a minor, it will not be available for public inspection regardless of the Open Records Act.

Filing Civil Cases in Taylor County

Civil cases in Taylor County Superior Court can be filed in person at the courthouse in Butler. Attorneys practicing in Georgia courts are required to use the state's electronic filing system for Superior Court cases. The GSCCCA eFiling overview explains the process and links to the required filing platform. Self-represented parties may still file paper documents at the clerk's counter.

When you file a new civil case in Taylor County, you must include a civil case filing information form as required under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-7.1. The clerk uses this form to classify the case type and index it in the civil docket. Filing fees are collected at the time of filing. Payment can usually be made by cash, check, or money order at the Taylor County courthouse. Check with the clerk's office about accepted payment methods before you go.

The eFiling overview page below, from the GSCCCA, walks through the process of submitting civil documents electronically to Georgia courts including Taylor County Superior Court.

Nearby Counties

Taylor County borders several other Georgia counties. Civil cases must be filed in the county where the defendant lives or where the dispute took place. If you are unsure which court has jurisdiction, checking nearby county records may help clarify where a case was filed.