---
title: O.C.G.A. § 31-10-24. Preservation or disposition of vital records; certified reproductions; preserved originals and authorized reproductions as property of department.
collection: code
id: 31-10-24
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 31-10-24 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-10-24
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-10-24.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-10-24/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t31-(v23)-2025-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=da7ded69_0#page=670
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-10.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-10-23.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-10-25.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Session of the General Assembly of Georgia
heading_path: HEALTH / VITAL RECORDS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 31-10-24. Preservation or disposition of vital records; certified reproductions; preserved originals and authorized reproductions as property of department.

(a) The department is responsible for the preservation or disposition of all vital records at state or county offices. To preserve vital records, the state registrar is authorized to prepare typewritten, photographic, electronic, or other reproductions of certificates or reports in the State Office of Vital Records. Such reproductions when certified by the state registrar or the local custodian shall be accepted as the original records for all purposes. The documents from which permanent reproductions have been made and verified may be preserved or disposed of as provided by regulation.

(b) All preserved original or authorized reproductions by the state and local custodians remain the property of the department. Such original or authorized reproductions shall be surrendered to the department when so ordered.

## History

Ga. L. 1945, p. 236, § 20; Ga. L. 1953, Jan.-Feb. Sess., p. 140, § 10; Code 1933, § 88-1722, enacted by Ga. L. 1964, p. 499, § 1; Code 1933, § 88-1724, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 723, § 1; Code 1981, § 31-10-11; Code 1981, § 31-10-24, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 723, § 2; Ga. L. 2004, p. 477, § 11.