Find the Cobb County Court That Actually Holds the Case Before You Search
Cobb County does not put every public court case into one universal search box. A felony or divorce generally starts with Superior Court, misdemeanors and many traffic cases belong in State Court, small claims use Magistrate Court, and estate or guardianship matters use Probate Court. Searching the wrong portal can therefore produce a convincing—but incorrect—“no case found” result.
This guide focuses on the decisions that matter after you arrive: which official database to open, what fields to use or leave blank, how far each online system reaches, what a search result does not prove, how to recover older or missing files, and which clerk to contact when you need the document rather than just the docket.
Choose by Case Type, Not by Keyword
The same name can appear in several Cobb systems. Match the dispute, charge or filing to the court before entering the name.
Use for felony prosecutions, divorce decrees and other Superior Court civil or domestic-relations files.
Superior workflowUse for misdemeanors, many traffic cases and civil lawsuits filed in State Court.
State Court workflowUse the separate Judicial Records Search for Magistrate cases rather than State Court Court Connect.
Magistrate workflowUse for probate estates, guardianships, conservatorships, wills and supported license records.
Probate workflowFirst Decision: Which Cobb Court Owns the Record?
The county’s official court directory separates Superior, State, Magistrate, Probate and Juvenile jurisdiction. This is more useful than beginning with a generic “Cobb records” search because each court maintains different case types and access routes.
Start here for felony criminal cases, divorce decrees, domestic-relations matters, title-to-land cases and other Superior Court files.
State Court hears misdemeanor cases, traffic violations within its jurisdiction and civil lawsuits filed in State Court.
Magistrate Court handles small claims and other Magistrate matters and has a separate Judicial Records Search.
Probate Court maintains probate-estate records and related guardianship, conservatorship and license records.
If you are unsure what kind of record you need, compare a docket, judgment, order, hearing record and certified copy in the Court Record Types Explained guide before paying for anything.
How to Search a Person or Business Name Without Hiding the Correct Case
Start with the fewest reliable fields. A case-number search is best when you already have the number; otherwise use a party name first and add narrowing information only when the result list is too broad.
- Identify the likely court from the case type. Decide whether the matter is felony, misdemeanor, traffic, divorce, civil, small claims, probate, guardianship or another category.
- Open that court’s official record search. Do not assume State Court Court Connect searches Superior, Magistrate or Probate records.
- Search a reliable surname or company name first. Add the first name when necessary. Avoid entering a date range or birth year you are not sure about.
- Try a middle-name variation. Run another search without the middle name or with only the middle initial if the exact court-file spelling is uncertain.
- Use phonetic search only when it helps. State Court and Magistrate search guidance includes phonetic searching for first and last names. It can help with similar spellings but may return more candidates.
- Narrow a very broad result deliberately. If the portal returns thousands of matches, add a second reliable field rather than scanning an incomplete result set.
- Open the case details instead of relying on the result row. Confirm the court, case number, filing date, party role and case status.
- Save the full case number. Use it for future searches, clerk calls, document requests and courthouse visits.
State Court: Know the Coverage Before You Search
Cobb’s State Court search is especially useful because the county publishes both its electronic coverage dates and a detailed user guide. That allows you to tell the difference between a genuine no-result and a case that may fall outside online coverage.
| State Court record | Published online coverage | If the case may be older |
|---|---|---|
| Civil | March 17, 1997 through the current year | Use the Civil Division’s older-file instructions rather than assuming the case does not exist. |
| Traffic and misdemeanor | April 26, 1999 through the current year | Contact the State Court Clerk when the matter predates electronic coverage or cannot be located. |
The online search is a public convenience. Cobb’s portal warns that when an online entry differs from the official court record, the official court record controls.
What the Official State Court User Guide Says You Can Search
The official search guide exposes several fields that are easy to misuse. Knowing what each one does can make the difference between a useful lookup and an unnecessarily empty result.
Civil or Criminal: choose the correct record group before searching.
Last/company, first and middle: use only information you trust. The guide supports phonetic searching on first and last names.
Birth year: the State Court guide identifies this as a criminal-case field, not a general civil-search filter.
Filing date: leave the range blank when you need broader results; add a reliable range when a common name returns too many cases.
Case-number search
If you already know the case number, use it instead of a name. The official guide illustrates the format with an example such as 24-A-12345. Copy the number exactly from the docket, citation, notice or earlier court paperwork.
What the citation and tag tabs are for
The 2024 State Court user guide specifically demonstrates citation-number and tag-number searching for School Bus citations. Do not assume those tabs are a universal search for every ordinary traffic ticket. Follow the labels on the current live portal.
After You Click Search: Use the Result Screen Instead of Re-Searching
The official guide shows more useful controls on the results screen than many searchers realize. Before starting over, use those controls to isolate the correct case.
Use column-level filters to reduce a long result list without changing the original search unnecessarily.
The user guide demonstrates grouping controls that can help organize results by displayed fields.
Preview the result before deciding whether to open the complete case.
Case Details opens the fuller record and is more useful for confirming the case than the search row alone.
A docket event and a downloadable document are not the same thing. Use the Documents route when available.
The guide says inactive parties remain searchable. An end or expiration date can appear with the party record.
Traffic Case Missing? First Ask Whether the Ticket Was Inside a City
A major Cobb-specific search mistake is assuming every citation issued in the county belongs in Cobb State Court. The State Court Clerk’s official materials distinguish unincorporated Cobb from municipal-court jurisdictions.
| Where the violation occurred | Likely starting court | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated Cobb County | Cobb State Court | Use State Court traffic/case guidance and the State Court record search. |
| Marietta | Marietta Municipal Court | Check the city court before assuming the citation belongs in Cobb State Court. |
| Smyrna | Smyrna Municipal Court | Use the city court route shown on the citation. |
| Powder Springs | Municipal Court | Follow the city-court information printed on the citation. |
| Acworth | Municipal Court | Check city Court Services for the citation. |
| Kennesaw | Municipal Court | Start with Kennesaw’s court rather than a county-wide name search. |
| Austell | Municipal Court | Use the municipal route shown on the ticket or court notice. |
New Traffic Ticket? Use the 10–14 Business-Day Rule
Cobb State Court warns that a newly issued citation may not be searchable or payable immediately. The current official guidance says to allow approximately 10–14 business days after receiving the ticket.
- Keep the original citation. Preserve the citation number, charge, issuing agency and court date.
- Do not panic when an immediate search fails. The citation must first reach the court and be entered into the case-management system.
- Search again within the official processing window. Use State Court case information only when the ticket belongs in State Court.
- After 14 business days, call 770-528-2660 if it is still missing. Have the citation in front of you.
- Do not miss the appearance date while waiting for the website. The citation and official court instructions control.
Moved Since the Citation? Update the Court Address Before Relying on Mailed Notice
The official State Court change-of-address form matters because future notice can be mailed to the address associated with the case. The form requires the court case number, so obtain the case number first if all you have is a citation.
Three official delivery routes shown on the form
- Mail: State Court Clerk, 12 East Park Square, Marietta, GA 30090.
- Hand delivery: State Court Clerk’s Office on the second floor.
- Electronic filing: through PeachCourt when the filing route is appropriate.
Superior Court: Felony, Divorce and Superior Civil Files
The Cobb Superior Court Clerk is the record custodian for Superior Court civil and criminal files. This is the key route for felony cases and divorce records.
Cobb Superior Court Clerk — Court Division
70 Haynes Street
Marietta, GA 30090
Phone: 770-528-1300
Clerk Court Division hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
If you are looking for a divorce
- Search the Superior Court record system using either spouse’s name or the case number.
- Confirm that the result is the correct domestic-relations case.
- Save the complete case number.
- Review the docket for the final divorce decree or final judgment.
- If an official copy is required, request the exact document rather than automatically requesting the whole file.
Current Superior Clerk copy examples
| Document package | Regular copy | Certified copy |
|---|---|---|
| Final Divorce Decree | $3 | $10 |
| Final Divorce Decree with Settlement Agreement | $9 | $24 |
| All Civil Documents | $3 | $10 |
| All Criminal Documents | $3 | $8 |
Need a Certified Superior Court Record Without Picking It Up? Check eCertification
The Superior Court Clerk also provides an electronic certification route. The official eCertification service is designed to create secured, self-validating certified court-record PDFs that can be delivered electronically.
When this route is useful
- You need a certified Superior Court document rather than an ordinary downloaded image.
- You do not want to rely on a courthouse pickup when electronic certification is accepted.
- The organization receiving the record can accept the Clerk’s secured electronic certified document.
Magistrate Search: Use Its Own Database, Not the State Court Portal
Cobb Magistrate Court publishes a separate Judicial Records Search and a detailed search-guide PDF. Its workflow resembles State Court in several places, but the records are not a substitute for one another.
Cobb County Magistrate Court
32 Waddell Street
Marietta, GA 30090
Main phone: 770-528-8900
Civil Division: 770-528-8910
Criminal Division: 770-528-8917
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
What the official Magistrate guide adds
The guide says the first 5,000 records are retrieved. Narrow very broad searches with another reliable field.
First- and last-name phonetic options can help when the exact spelling is uncertain.
The Magistrate guide includes a case-type selection that can reduce unrelated results.
Leave the filing date blank to search more broadly; use a known range to narrow common names.
The guide says current-day case-management updates become searchable after the nightly refresh.
Case Details and Documents are separate routes. A searchable event does not guarantee an attached online file.
The current Magistrate landing page advertises searching by name, case number and citation number. The 2024 user guide demonstrates the core name/date and case-number workflow. Use the live screen when current labels differ from the guide.
Probate Search: Current Cases, Document Images and Historical Indexes
Cobb Probate Court’s public portal is useful for more than recent estate cases. The court says no login is required to view public court records or its public docket, and its records page also links historical filing indexes.
Cobb County Probate Court
32 Waddell Street
Marietta, GA 30090
Phone: 770-528-1900
Email: probatecourt@cobbcounty.gov
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
For a current estate or guardianship case
- Open the Probate Case Status and Records Search.
- Search the decedent, ward, petitioner or other known party as supported by the portal.
- Confirm the case number and case type.
- Review the docket and public document images that are available.
- Contact Probate Court when the required image is absent or a certified copy is needed.
For an old probate matter, use the filing indexes
The current Probate records page links a complete Index of Filings for 1825–2025 and separate 2026 quarterly indexes. The 2026 Q1 index contains columns for Name, Case Number, Date Filed, Type, Docket Description and Docket Date.
Older State Court Civil Files: Stop Repeating the Online Search
When an older State Court civil or eviction file is not easy to locate online, the Civil Division publishes a more practical route than repeatedly changing the person’s name.
What the State Court Civil Division says about storage
- Civil and eviction files are currently kept on location for approximately 10 years.
- Completed cases filed before 2006 are stored off-site.
- An off-site file can be ordered in advance for a published $7 retrieval fee.
- Older records may also be viewable through the court’s document-imaging system.
“I am trying to inspect an older State Court civil case. The party is ______ and the case number is ______. Can you tell me whether the file is on-site, available through document imaging, or needs the $7 off-site retrieval?”
Docket, Online Document, Certified Copy or eCertified Record?
Do not pay for a certified packet when you only need to read the docket, and do not submit an ordinary online image when the receiving agency requires certification. Match the copy to the purpose.
State Court Civil Division published copy charges
| Service | Current published amount | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary copies | $0.25 per page | Paper copies when certification is not required. |
| Certified copy stamp/seal | $3 | Certification added by the State Court Clerk where applicable. |
| Exemplified copy | $5 | Higher authentication when specifically required. |
| Off-site file retrieval | $7 | Retrieval of qualifying older files stored off-site. |
Probate Court published copy examples
| Probate service | Current published amount |
|---|---|
| Certified copy | $10 first page + $1 each additional page |
| Certified marriage-license copy | $10 |
| Certified marriage application | $10 |
Do Not Go to Clerk Express for a Record Search or Copy Request
The State/Magistrate Court Clerk’s Office Express at 122 Waddell Street NE, Marietta, GA 30060 is an ADA-accessible drive-through service, but its purpose is easy to misunderstand.
Published hours: 7:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Traffic and school-bus citations, court fines and fees, restitution and qualifying probation payments.
Do not use the drive-through for filings, court appearances, case changes or a courthouse record-research visit.
No Result? Diagnose the Reason Before Assuming There Is No Record
Wrong court
Re-route the matter by case type. Divorce and felony cases do not belong in the same search as State Court misdemeanors or Magistrate small claims.
Search is too broad
The State and Magistrate guides retrieve the first 5,000 records. Add another reliable field when a common name is producing an oversized result set.
Today’s update is not visible yet
State and Magistrate guides say their search data is refreshed nightly. Check again after the next refresh when a filing or case update was entered today.
Traffic ticket is too new
Allow the official 10–14 business-day processing period for a new State Court citation.
Ticket is in a municipal court
If the violation occurred in one of Cobb’s city jurisdictions, the initial case may belong to municipal court rather than State Court.
Old State Court file is off-site
Completed pre-2006 State civil files may require off-site retrieval instead of another online name search.
Probate case is historical
Use the Probate filing indexes to identify an older case number, then ask the court about the underlying file.
Docket exists but PDF does not
A case event can exist without an online document image. Contact the clerk when the filing itself is needed.
Run this recovery sequence
- Identify the case type again.
- Confirm the correct Cobb court.
- Remove uncertain name, birth-year or date filters.
- Try the name without a middle name.
- Use phonetic search when spelling is uncertain.
- Narrow an oversized result with one reliable field.
- Use the complete case number when available.
- For a new ticket, allow 10–14 business days.
- Check municipal jurisdiction for city traffic cases.
- Use older-file or Probate-index procedures when the date falls outside normal online coverage.
Call the Office That Owns the Record
There is no single Cobb court-records phone number for every case. Use the case type to reach the correct office and have the complete case number ready whenever possible.
70 Haynes Street, Marietta, GA 30090
Felony, divorce and Superior Court records.
12 East Park Square, Marietta, GA 30090
State Court case and traffic assistance.
Use for State Court civil records and older civil-file questions.
Use for State Court criminal-division questions.
32 Waddell Street, Marietta, GA 30090
Magistrate and small-claims matters.
32 Waddell Street, Marietta, GA 30090
Estate, will, guardianship and supported license records.
Need help navigating State Court Court Connect?
Cobb’s Court Connect page publishes navigation-help numbers 770-528-2600 and 770-528-1257. Use those for help navigating the online search rather than asking the clerk to perform a broad background-style name search.
“I found case number ______ for ______. I need the ______ filed on approximately ______. Is that document available online, at the counter, or by copy request, and what certification level and fee would apply?”
Before You Drive to the Marietta Court Complex
Several Cobb court offices are close together in downtown Marietta but do not share one universal public-record counter. Navigate to the exact court or clerk shown on the case.
A case number makes a courthouse visit far more efficient than arriving with only a common name.
Write down “final decree,” “judgment,” “disposition,” “complaint” or the exact filing you need.
Confirm whether an older file is on-site before travelling.
Ask the organization receiving the record what type of copy it requires.
Court and clerk counters can have different operating details.
The drive-through is a payment service, not a record-research counter.
When the Case Is Not in the Four Main Cobb Search Routes
Juvenile Court
Cobb Juvenile Court is separate. Juvenile records can have confidentiality and access restrictions, so the absence of a public online result does not establish that no proceeding exists. Cobb lists Juvenile Court at 770-528-2220.
Federal court
A federal civil, criminal or bankruptcy matter is not a Cobb County trial-court record. Cobb County is within the federal Northern District of Georgia. Search federal cases through the relevant federal court and PACER.
Read the Case Outcome, Not Just the Search Result
| What you see | What it tells you | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Party name | A person or business is associated with the case. | That a same-name person is the person you intended to find. |
| Charge | An allegation was filed in the criminal case. | That the defendant was convicted of that charge. |
| Complaint | A civil claim was filed. | That the plaintiff won or that liability was established. |
| Docket event | The case-management system recorded activity. | That a downloadable document is attached to the event. |
| Disposition | The recorded outcome of the case or charge. | That you understand every legal consequence without reading the relevant order. |
| Online image | A copy of an eligible public document is available electronically. | That the copy is certified or acceptable for official use. |
Use the Court Records Glossary for unfamiliar terms such as docket, disposition, plea, judgment, probate, sealed and expunged.
Use the Record for Information, Not Unsupported Conclusions
Public court data can contain allegations, amended charges, dismissed matters, duplicate names, stale contact information and docket entries without attached documents.
- A criminal charge is not automatically a conviction.
- A lawsuit is not automatically a judgment against the defendant.
- A same-name result is not reliable identity verification by itself.
- A courthouse docket is not a fingerprint-based criminal-history report.
- An online image is not automatically a certified copy.
This site is designed for educational navigation to official sources, not regulated employment, tenant, credit, insurance or eligibility screening. Review the FCRA and Consumer Reporting Notice and the User Safety and Anti-Misuse Policy before using information about another person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I start a Cobb County court case search?
Start with the case type. Superior Court is the main route for felony and divorce cases; State Court for misdemeanors, many traffic cases and State Court civil cases; Magistrate for small claims and Magistrate matters; Probate for estates, wills, guardianships and conservatorships.
How far back does the Cobb State Court online search go?
The current search states that civil cases are included from March 17, 1997 through the current year, while traffic and misdemeanor cases are included from April 26, 1999 through the current year.
Why is a case filed today not showing online?
The official State Court and Magistrate search guides say their search data is refreshed nightly. A same-day update may therefore become available through the search the following day.
Why am I seeing only part of a very large result list?
The official State and Magistrate guides state that the first 5,000 records are retrieved. Add another reliable field—such as the first name, case type or known filing range—to narrow the query.
Why can’t I find a new traffic ticket?
Cobb State Court advises allowing approximately 10–14 business days after the ticket is issued. If a State Court citation still cannot be located after 14 business days, call 770-528-2660.
Could my traffic ticket be in municipal court instead?
Yes. Cobb’s official materials distinguish unincorporated-Cobb State Court traffic matters from violations handled by municipal courts in Marietta, Smyrna, Powder Springs, Acworth, Kennesaw and Austell. Follow the court information on the citation.
Can I search inactive parties?
The official State and Magistrate user guides explain that inactive parties remain searchable and may display an end or expiration date.
How do I find an old Cobb State Court civil case?
The Civil Division says it keeps approximately 10 years of civil and eviction files on location. Completed cases filed before 2006 are stored off-site and can be ordered for a published $7 retrieval fee or may be viewable through the document-imaging system.
How can I find an old Cobb Probate filing?
The Probate records page links a complete Index of Filings for 1825–2025 plus current quarterly indexes. Use the index to identify the case number, then contact Probate Court about the underlying file.
Is an online Cobb court document a certified copy?
Not automatically. If certification is required, obtain it from the clerk or court that maintains the record. Superior Court also offers an electronic certification service for qualifying court records.
Official Sources Used to Build and Check This Guide
- Cobb County Courts
- Cobb Superior Court Clerk Records Search
- Superior Court Request Copies
- Superior Court eCertification
- Cobb State Court Records Search
- Official State Court Records Search User Guide
- State Court Civil Division
- Magistrate Judicial Records Search
- Official Magistrate Records Search User Guide
- Probate Case Status and Records Search
- Probate Court Current Fees
Our internal methodology and update standards are available in the Source Verification and Manual Checking Policy and How to Use This Website guide.
This version checks Cobb court routing, State and Magistrate portal mechanics, official search-guide PDFs, State Court coverage dates, the 5,000-result limit, nightly refresh behavior, traffic-processing guidance, municipal-court routing, older civil-file retrieval, Superior Court certification options, Probate historical indexes, clerk contacts and current published copy-fee examples.
Court systems, fees, office hours, forms and access rules can change. When this guide differs from a current Cobb County court or clerk page, the official record-holding office controls.