Union County Court Records
How To Find Court Records in Union County in 2026
UnionGARecords.us provides access to publicly available information related to court records in Union County, Georgia. Members of the public seeking court records may find case-related data including civil filings, criminal case information, probate matters, and other judicial records maintained by county and state court offices. The information available through public channels may include, but is not limited to:
- Civil court filings and judgments
- Criminal case records and dispositions
- Probate court records
- Magistrate court filings
- Traffic and ordinance violations
- Family law matters, including divorce and custody filings
- Small claims case records
Court records in Union County may be searched through several established channels. The Clerk of Superior Court maintains official case files and accepts in-person requests at the courthouse. Public access terminals located within the courthouse allow members of the public to search case indexes without charge during regular business hours. The Georgia Courts statewide portal provides online access to certain case information. Written or mail requests directed to the appropriate clerk's office represent an additional method for obtaining records. Each method carries distinct access conditions, potential fees, and limitations depending on case type and record status.
Method 1 – Clerk of Court Office: The Clerk of Superior Court accepts in-person requests for case files, certified copies, and docket information. Requestors should provide the full case number, party name, or filing date to facilitate retrieval.
Method 2 – Courthouse Public Access Terminals: Terminals located within the Union County Courthouse allow members of the public to search the case index at no cost during regular business hours.
Method 3 – Online Court Search: The E-Access to Court Records portal maintained by the Georgia Courts system allows registered users to search case records statewide. An account is required to access full case details through this platform.
Method 4 – State-Level Judicial Search Tools: The Georgia Courts home portal provides directories, forms, and access to judicial data across the state court system.
Method 5 – Written or Mail Requests: Members of the public may submit written requests to the Clerk of Superior Court. Requests should identify the case by number or party name and specify the documents sought. Fees for copies apply.
Are Court Records Public In Union County
Court records in Union County are public under current Georgia law. The Georgia Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 establishes the presumption that records maintained by public agencies, including court offices, are open to inspection by any member of the public. Additionally, court records are subject to the principle of open access embedded in Georgia's judicial framework.
The following categories of records are public under current law:
- Case dockets and docket entries
- Party names (plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent)
- Hearing dates and continuances
- Filed pleadings, motions, and responses
- Court orders and final judgments
- Sentencing entries and disposition records
- Probate filings and estate records
Certain records are confidential, sealed, or restricted under Georgia law and court rules:
- Juvenile court records, which are protected under O.C.G.A. § 15-11-701
- Adoption records, which are sealed by statute
- Mental health commitment records
- Records sealed by court order
- Expunged or restricted criminal history records
- Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers and financial account numbers
A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While members of the public may inspect most court records in person at the clerk's office, not all records are available through online portals. Sealed filings, restricted case types, and older paper records may require an in-person visit or a formal written request to access.
What Are Court Records in Union County?
Court records are the official documents, filings, and entries created and maintained by a court or its clerk in connection with judicial proceedings. In practical terms, a court record encompasses everything filed with or generated by the court from the initiation of a case through its final disposition and any subsequent appeal.
A docket entry is a chronological log of actions taken in a case, while a full case file contains the actual documents filed by parties and issued by the court. Civil court records arise from disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, while criminal court records document proceedings initiated by the state against an individual charged with a criminal offense. Filed pleadings are the initial and responsive documents submitted by parties, whereas final judgments represent the court's conclusive resolution of the matter.
Public filings are those accessible to any member of the public under applicable law, while sealed or restricted filings are withheld from public inspection by court order or statute. Trial court records are maintained at the county level by the clerk of the relevant court, while appellate records are maintained by the Georgia Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court of Georgia.
The Clerk of Superior Court is responsible for all civil and criminal affairs and filings made in the Union County Superior Court. The Probate Court clerk maintains probate and guardianship records. The Magistrate Court clerk maintains records for magistrate-level civil and criminal matters. Court records are created at the moment of filing and updated continuously as the case progresses through hearings, motions, orders, and final disposition.
Union County Clerk of Superior Court
65 Courthouse Street, Suite 5
Blairsville, GA 30512
Phone: (706) 439-6022
Clerk of Superior Court
What's Included in a Union County Court Record?
A court record may include a range of documents and data entries depending on the case type, the court in which the matter was filed, and applicable public-access rules. The following categories of information may appear within a Union County court record:
- Case identification: Case number, court name and division, and filing date
- Party information: Names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and other named parties
- Case classification: Case type (civil, criminal, probate, family, traffic) and current case status
- Docket entries: A chronological log of all actions taken in the case, including filings, hearings, and orders
- Hearing information: Scheduled and past hearing dates, continuances, and minute entries
- Filed documents: Complaints, petitions, answers, motions, responses, notices, briefs, and supporting exhibits where publicly filed
- Court-issued documents: Orders, judgments, decrees, writs, and rulings issued by the presiding judge
- Outcome information: Dismissals, verdicts, pleas, convictions, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
- Financial and administrative data: Filing fees, assessed court costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly reflected in the record
Certain categories of information are excluded or restricted from public court records. Sealed filings are withheld by court order. Expunged or restricted criminal records are removed from public access pursuant to applicable Georgia law. Juvenile case files are confidential. Adoption records are sealed. Protected personal identifiers, including Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and certain contact information, are redacted from publicly accessible documents. Some exhibits, particularly those containing sensitive personal or proprietary information, may be filed under seal or withheld from the public record.
Types of Courts in Union County
Union County is served by several courts operating within Georgia's unified judicial system. The Union County Courts page identifies the courts currently serving the county and their respective jurisdictions.
Superior Court is the court of general jurisdiction in Georgia and handles felony criminal cases, civil matters above the magistrate court threshold, domestic relations cases including divorce and child custody, equity matters, and appeals from lower courts. Union County is part of the Enotah Judicial Circuit, which also includes Lumpkin, Towns, and Fannin Counties. The Clerk of Superior Court maintains the official record for all Superior Court proceedings.
Probate Court handles the administration of estates, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, and certain mental health matters. The Probate Court also has jurisdiction over certain misdemeanor traffic offenses and firearms licenses.
Magistrate Court handles civil claims up to $15,000, dispossessory (eviction) proceedings, bad check matters, county ordinance violations, and preliminary criminal hearings including bond hearings and arrest warrants. The Magistrate Court clerk maintains records for these proceedings.
Juvenile Court handles matters involving minors alleged to be delinquent, unruly, or deprived. Juvenile court records are confidential under O.C.G.A. § 15-11-701 and are not accessible to the general public.
Municipal Court in the City of Blairsville handles city ordinance violations and certain traffic offenses occurring within municipal limits.
Union County Courthouse
65 Courthouse Street
Blairsville, GA 30512
Phone: (706) 439-6000
Union County Courts
How to Search Union County Court Records for Free?
Members of the public may search certain Union County court records at no cost through several channels. In-person inspection of court records at the Clerk of Superior Court's office is free of charge during regular business hours. Public access terminals located within the courthouse allow users to search the case index without payment.
The E-Access to Court Records portal maintained by the Georgia Courts system provides online case search functionality. Basic case index searches may be available at no cost, though full document access through the portal may require a registered account and applicable fees depending on the provider.
The following table summarizes access methods and associated costs:
| Access Method | Cost |
|---|---|
| In-person case index inspection | Free |
| Courthouse public access terminal | Free |
| Online case index search (state portal) | Free (account may be required) |
| Standard paper copies | Per-page fee (set by clerk) |
| Certified copies | Fee per document |
| Electronic copies | Fee may apply |
| Research by clerk staff | Fee may apply for extensive research |
Under Georgia law, the Clerk of Superior Court is authorized to charge fees for copies and certified copies of court records. The applicable fee schedule is maintained by the clerk's office and is subject to change. Members of the public may submit an Open Records Request to the appropriate Union County office for records not immediately available through public terminals or online portals.
How Long Does Union County Keep Court Records?
The retention of court records in Union County is governed by the Georgia judicial records retention schedules established by the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority and the Georgia Archives. Retention periods vary by case type and record category.
Permanent records include docket books, minute books, judgment books, and final orders in civil and criminal cases. These records are retained indefinitely and are not subject to routine destruction. Felony criminal case files are retained permanently or for extended periods consistent with the severity of the offense. Misdemeanor case files and traffic records are subject to shorter retention schedules, though the specific period depends on the nature of the offense and applicable rules.
Probate records, including wills, estate inventories, and guardianship files, are retained permanently as part of the historical record. Family law records, including divorce decrees and custody orders, are retained for extended periods given their ongoing legal significance.
Paper files may be transferred to microfilm, digital imaging, or archival storage after the active retention period. Physical destruction of paper originals may occur after imaging, provided the imaged record is preserved in accordance with applicable standards. Older records, particularly those predating electronic filing systems, may exist only in paper form, microfilm, or county archives and may require an in-person request to access.
A distinction exists among destruction, archival retention, sealing, redaction, and expungement. Destruction removes the physical record after the retention period expires. Archival retention preserves the record in a non-active repository. Sealing restricts public access while preserving the record. Redaction removes specific information from a publicly accessible document. Expungement, available in limited circumstances under Georgia law, removes or restricts a criminal record from public access entirely.
How To Find a Court Docket in Union County
A court docket is the official chronological log of all actions taken in a specific case. It differs from the full case file in that it records events and filings rather than containing the actual documents themselves. A docket entry notes that a motion was filed, a hearing was held, or an order was issued, while the full case file contains the text of those documents.
Dockets for Union County Superior Court cases may be accessed through the E-Access to Court Records portal maintained by the Georgia Courts system. Users must create an account to access case-level docket information through this platform. Once logged in, a case may be located by entering the case number, party name, or other identifying information. The docket view displays a chronological list of entries including filing dates, document types, hearing dates, and case status updates.
Members of the public may also request docket information in person at the Clerk of Superior Court's office. Staff can retrieve the docket for a specific case upon request, and public access terminals within the courthouse provide direct access to the case index and docket entries.
A court docket in Union County may contain the following information:
- Case number and court division
- Party names
- Filing date and case type
- Chronological list of all filings and actions
- Hearing dates, continuances, and minute entries
- Motion filings and corresponding orders
- Status updates and case disposition
A docket does not include the full text of filed documents, sealed entries, confidential attachments, or exhibits filed under restriction. Hearing calendars and daily court schedules may be separately available through the clerk's office or posted at the courthouse. The Georgia Courts statewide system serves as the primary online resource for locating docket information across Georgia's trial courts, including those serving Union County.