---
title: O.C.G.A. § 31-10-25. Disclosure of information contained in vital records; transfer of records to State Archives.
collection: code
id: 31-10-25
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 31-10-25 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-10-25
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-10-25.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-10-25/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=671
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.
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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. § 31-10-25. Disclosure of information contained in vital records; transfer of records to State Archives.

(a) To protect the integrity of vital records, to ensure their proper use, and to ensure the efficient and proper administration of the system of vital records, it shall be unlawful for any person to permit inspection of, or to disclose information contained in, vital records or to copy or issue a copy of all or part of any such record except as authorized by this chapter, Code Section 19-7-46.1, and regulation or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction. Regulations adopted under this Code section shall provide for adequate standards of security and confidentiality of vital records. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to court records or indexes of marriage licenses, divorces, and annulments of marriages filed as provided by law.

(b) The department shall authorize by regulation the disclosure of information contained in vital records for research purposes.

(c) Appeals from decisions of custodians of vital records, as designated under authority of Code Section 31-10-6, who refuse to disclose information or to permit inspection or copying of records as prescribed by this Code section and regulations issued under this Code section shall be made to the state registrar whose decisions shall be binding upon such custodians.

(d) Information in vital records indicating that a birth occurred out of wedlock shall not be disclosed except as authorized by this chapter, Code Section 19-7-46.1, and regulation or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

(e) When 125 years have elapsed after the date of birth or 100 years have elapsed after the date of death or application for marriage, or divorce, dissolution of marriage, or annulment, the records of these events in the custody of the state registrar shall be transferred to the State Archives and such information shall be made available in accordance with regulations which shall provide for the continued safekeeping of the records.

(f) Official copies of records of deaths, applications for marriages and marriage certificates, divorces, dissolutions of marriages, and annulments located in the counties shall remain accessible to the public. While in the temporary custody of the probate court before transmission to the state registrar or confirmation of transmission or receipt, application supplement-marriage report forms shall not be available for public inspection or copying or admissible in any court of law.

## History

Ga. L. 1945, p. 236, § 24; Ga. L. 1953, Jan.-Feb. Sess., p. 140, § 12; Code 1933, § 88-1723, enacted by Ga. L. 1964, p. 499, § 1; Ga. L. 1965, p. 651, § 2; Code 1933, § 88-1725, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 723, § 1; Code 1981, § 31-10-13; Code 1981, § 31-10-25, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 723, § 2; Ga. L. 1997, p. 1592, § 6; Ga. L. 2016, p. 304, § 16/SB 64; Ga. L. 2020, p. 55, § 5/SB 372.

## Cross References

Opening of public records to inspection by members of public, § 50-18-70 et seq.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 2016, p. 304, § 18/SB 64, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “This Act shall not be construed to affect a voluntary acknowledgment of legitimation that was valid under the former provisions of Code Section 19-7-21.1, nor any of the rights or responsibilities flowing therefrom, if it was executed on or before June 30, 2016.”