Someone died in Georgia. Start here.
The first 24 hours, in order, then the first week and the first month, with Georgia's actual rules for death certificates, cremation, and probate. This page is free. No account required.
Sources: official Georgia statutes and agencies, linked below. Last updated: October 2026.
Start with safety, the required local response, and the people who can help. The exact process depends on where and how the death occurred.
These figures come from the same data as our full Georgia guide, built from state statutes and official agencies.
Death certificate
Filed within 3 days of custody
The window runs from first taking custody of the body. The funeral provider or another authorized filer usually handles it. Ask each institution whether it needs a certified copy, then order an initial quantity based on those actual needs. Confirm the current fee with the issuing office; the guide's last-reviewed first-copy or search fee starts at $25. Additional-copy, vendor, and expedited fees may differ.
Source: O.C.G.A. 31-10-15, 31-10-20 (Georgia Vital Records) (opens in a new tab)Cremation
No fixed statutory wait
Georgia doesn’t set a fixed minimum wait in the source reviewed. Release, authorization, permit, death-record, or investigation requirements may still delay cremation. The person legally authorized under state law completes any required authorization; the provider handles its filing process.
Source: O.C.G.A. 31-10-20, 31-21-7, 43-18-72 (Official Code of Georgia Annotated)… (opens in a new tab)Probate
$15,000 listed amount
The amount alone doesn’t establish eligibility. Confirm which property counts, how it’s valued, the waiting period, ownership, any pending court case, and every other state condition.
Source: O.C.G.A. §§ 53-3-1 (year's support), 7-1-239 (bank-account affidavit), Ti… (opens in a new tab)Estate tax
None in this state
Georgia has no state estate or inheritance tax. The federal basic exclusion amount is $15 million for deaths in 2026; other Form 706 filing reasons can still apply.
Source 1: Georgia Department of Revenue (opens in a new tab)Source 2: IRS: 2026 estate tax basic exclusion amount (opens in a new tab)Days 2 to 7 · 1 to 7 days
These tasks often begin during the first week, but local requirements and the family's circumstances may change the order.
Weeks 2 to 4 · 1 to 4 weeks
The immediate calls may slow down. Estate, account, benefit, property, and tax work often continues for months.
The Long Game · 1 month+
Estate administration may take months or longer. The timing depends on the assets, claims, disputes, tax work, court schedule, and state procedure.
Have the death officially pronounced. For an expected hospice death, call the hospice nurse and follow the hospice instructions. For an unexpected death, call 911 and don’t move the body until you’re told you can. Then notify the closest people and, after the body is released, contact the funeral, cremation, burial, or donation provider the person chose.
In Georgia, the death certificate must be filed within 3 days of first taking custody of the body. The funeral provider or another authorized filer usually handles it. Ask each institution whether it needs a certified copy, then order an initial quantity based on those actual needs.
Certified copies go to people with a direct and tangible interest: a legal spouse, adult children, adult siblings, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, or someone with a tangible interest such as a beneficiary or an insurer. Anyone can order a plain-paper copy with the Social Security number redacted. Certified copies come from Georgia's State Office of Vital Records, Georgia Department of Public Health, in Atlanta; county vital records offices issue copies too.
$25 for a certified copy from the state office, per the fee page linked on this page. Additional copies are $5 each. Ordering online costs more than mailing: the state adds $8 processing per online order.
From Georgia's State Office of Vital Records, Georgia Department of Public Health, in Atlanta; county vital records offices issue copies too, online through the state's ROVER portal or through GoCertificates or VitalChek, in person, or by mail with Form 3912 to the state or county office. The official order page is linked on this page. The funeral home usually orders the first copies for you.
Georgia doesn’t set a fixed minimum wait in the source reviewed. Release, authorization, permit, death-record, or investigation requirements may still delay cremation. The person legally authorized under state law completes any required authorization; the provider handles its filing process.
Georgia's stated small-estate threshold is $15,000. Value alone doesn’t establish eligibility. Ownership, asset type, timing, beneficiaries, debts, and other state requirements can affect whether a simplified procedure is available.
No. Georgia has no state estate or inheritance tax. The federal basic exclusion amount is $15 million for deaths in 2026, and Form 706 may also be relevant for certain elections.
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