DeKalb County GA Court Records Search | Smart Search

Which DeKalb County Court Has the Record?

Use the case type before the person’s name. This one decision prevents most wrong-clerk searches.

For a broader explanation of what counts as a docket, filing, judgment or certified copy, see the site’s Court Record Types Explained guide.

How to Search DeKalb Court Records by Name or Case Number

The Judicial Information System is the practical first search when you need to identify a DeKalb judicial case. Treat the search result as a routing tool: the most important output is the court name and complete case number.

1. Open the official DeKalb Judicial Information System. Use the portal linked by DeKalb court and clerk websites rather than a private people-search form.
2. Open Smart Search. Use the main court-record search rather than a hearing calendar when your goal is the case itself.
3. Use the strongest identifier available. Enter the complete case number when you have it. If you only know a name, begin with the known party name and avoid assuming the first result is correct.
4. Compare every plausible match. Check the court, case category, filing date, party role and case activity.
5. Write down the court and case number. You will need both when calling the clerk, retrieving an older file, requesting a transcript or ordering a certified document.
6. Open the events or docket. Identify the specific judgment, order, complaint, disposition or other filing you actually need.
7. Do not confuse the docket with the document. A visible event can exist even when the corresponding image is not remotely available.
8. Move to the court-specific workflow below. Superior, State, Magistrate and Probate records have different copy, archive and access rules.

Why You Can See a DeKalb Case but Not the Actual Document

For Superior Court records, the Clerk makes an important distinction between seeing the case/events and seeing the underlying document image.

Before paying for a document, identify it from the docket

Instead of asking for “the whole case,” record the event date and exact title of the document you need—for example, Final Disposition, Final Judgment, Decree, Order, Settlement Agreement or another specific filing. This reduces unnecessary pages and copy charges.

Decode a DeKalb State or Magistrate Case Number

DeKalb State Court publishes an unusually useful case-number legend. It can tell you the filing year, type of action, sequence number and division before you call the clerk.

Action codes published by DeKalb State Court

Superior Court Records: Use a Different Workflow for Criminal vs. Civil/Family

DeKalb’s Clerk of Superior Court manages Superior Court judicial records, but its current instructions differ slightly by division and record age.

Need a Superior Court final disposition after a criminal hearing?

The Superior Court Criminal Department currently states that certified copies of a final disposition can be picked up at the Clerk’s Office on the courthouse ground floor and that final dispositions are entered and available within 24 hours of the hearing date.

Information the Criminal Division asks for when requesting a copy

Prepare the defendant’s full name, complete case number, date of birth, charge or charges at arrest, and a contact phone number or email. Having these ready reduces back-and-forth with the clerk.

State Court Records: Know When the File Has Moved Off Site

State Court’s current FAQ says civil and criminal files are generally retained locally for about two years. Older files are transferred to the DeKalb County Retention Center.

State Court criminal records that are restricted or sealed

State Court explains that court records are public unless restricted. For a restricted criminal case, copies are limited to an authorized requester such as the defendant, attorney of record or a government agency. A sealed record requires the court process applicable to sealed material rather than a routine public-copy request.

For an authorized restricted-case copy, the current FAQ says the request can be made at 556 N. McDonough Street, Suite 240 and must include the case number and government-issued identification. The Clerk then advises the requester of the fee.

Traffic Records: DUI and Ordinary Tickets Do Not Go to the Same Division

How to open an official Division B traffic docket PDF

1. Open Division B E-Filing & Dockets. Choose the court-docket link.
2. Select the court date. Use the date connected with the ticket or court notice.
3. Select the Search icon. The matching docket lines will load.
4. Select the Adobe PDF icon. It appears to the right of the line item and opens the official court docket.

Magistrate Court: Small Claims, Evictions, Warrants and Ordinance Records

The Magistrate Court site separates civil matters at the downtown courthouse from criminal and ordinance matters at Camp Circle. Its public “Find Your Case” workflow is docket-oriented rather than a generic private background-search tool.

How the Magistrate “Find Your Case” docket tool works

1. Select the court date you want to view.
2. Select the Search icon.
3. Select the Adobe PDF icon on the matching line to load the official docket.

Probate Records Use a Separate DeKalb Court Process

Wills, estates, guardianships and other Probate Court records should not be treated as ordinary Superior, State or Magistrate files.

The Probate Court’s current Records page instructs users to contact its Records office to schedule an appointment to review records or obtain record information. Probate Court currently lists services as appointment-based.

Older DeKalb Files: Archives and Retention Are Two Different Systems

“The case is old” is not enough information. Superior Court has an Archives process, while older State Court files are moved to the county Retention Center.

Superior Archives mail-request checklist

For an archived Superior Court copy, the current Archives page instructs users to complete the Archive Record Request Form, include the applicable fee, add a self-addressed stamped envelope and provide contact information for return of the certified document.

Published Superior archive fee examples

The Archives page currently says these archive fees must be paid by money order or cashier’s check payable to the Clerk of Superior Court. Check the live page immediately before mailing payment.

Need a Trial Exhibit, Audio, Video or Physical Evidence? Do Not Treat It Like a Docket PDF

A 2026 DeKalb Superior Court standing order creates an important distinction between ordinary court filings and property introduced into evidence in a Superior Court criminal trial.

Who has the original trial evidence?

Under the standing order dated January 1, 2026, the DeKalb County District Attorney becomes custodian of property introduced into evidence in Superior Court criminal cases after the court reporter prepares the evidence log. For this order, property includes both physical and electronic evidence.

What happens to audio or video exhibits?

For electronic storage media such as audio or video, the order requires an original and a copy. The original exhibit goes into District Attorney custody. The second copy carries the same identification number plus the letter “A” and remains with the court reporter.

What happens if the case is appealed?

The order states that the Clerk requests the original exhibit from the District Attorney and sends that original to the appellate court.

Who Has the Record You Need?

Several documents connected with a case are not ordinary clerk copies. Use this routing table before sending a request.

How to Order the Right DeKalb Court Copy

Copy fees are not uniform across every DeKalb court. Identify the court before comparing prices.

Current published copy-fee examples

Superior Court eCertification: exact workflow

1. Find the case and exact document first. Use the judicial portal so you do not submit a vague request.
2. Open the Georgia eCertification Portal. Create an account and submit the document request.
3. Wait for Clerk review. The Clerk determines whether the requested certified document can be provided through the portal.
4. Pay after the document is approved. The Superior Clerk currently gives the requester six days to pay once documents are made available.
5. Resubmit if the payment period expires. The request is automatically rejected after the six-day payment window if it remains unpaid.

What the Clerk’s official copy-request PDF asks you to provide

The downloadable Superior Court Civil/Family request form asks for the customer’s contact information, civil action number, case type, plaintiff, defendant, the exact requested document, and number of copies. It specifically provides choices such as Final Order/Judgment, Settlement Agreement and miscellaneous document.

What to Do When DeKalb Search Shows No Case

A blank search does not prove that no record exists. Work through the problem in this order.

1. Confirm Georgia. Make sure the paperwork refers to DeKalb County, Georgia rather than another DeKalb County.
2. Confirm the court type. Felony, misdemeanor, traffic, Magistrate, Probate and Juvenile matters do not use identical workflows.
3. Recheck the case number. Compare every letter, suffix and digit with the original notice or filing.
4. Try the name only when necessary. Compare multiple plausible results rather than assuming no result means no case.
5. Check record age. Older Superior documents may be in Archives and older State files may be in the Retention Center.
6. Check document access separately. The case may appear while the underlying image requires registration or clerk access.
7. Use the correct hearing/docket tool. Traffic and Magistrate pages provide docket-PDF workflows that are distinct from a case-record search.
8. Contact the record-holding clerk. Give the exact case number whenever possible.

If you need a broader troubleshooting framework, use the site’s Court Records Search guide.

DeKalb Court Locations: Go to the Correct Building

Do not assume every DeKalb court service is at 556 North McDonough Street.

Do Not Send These Requests to the Wrong DeKalb Office

Frequently Asked Questions About DeKalb County GA Court Records

Official Sources and Verification Notes

This guide prioritizes the record-holding court or clerk over private public-record directories. The following official pages were checked for the workflows, fees, addresses and record-access rules described above.

For court terminology, see the site’s Court Records Glossary. For responsible use of names and case results, review the FCRA and Consumer Reporting Notice. The site’s research standards are described in the Source Verification Policy.