Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Georgia · Central Georgia · #639
Bleckley County, Georgia
Between Macon and Dublin on the Georgia coastal plain, Cochran's Middle Georgia State University aviation campus trains pilots in the wide-open airspace above the cotton and peanut fields of Bleckley County - giving a small central Georgia community an unexpected aviation identity.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Bleckley County Sheriff’s Office – 345 Highway 87 Bypass N, Cochran, GA 31014 | (478) 934-6282 | Fax (478) 934-8278 | Email: [email protected]; Sheriff Daniel Cape, elected in a November 2023 special election after serving as interim sheriff, born and raised in nearby Hawkinsville and a Bleckley County Sheriff’s Office employee since age 22, rising to chief deputy. The office jointly operates the county jail (in service since 1933, capacity 407) with court security and civil process duties, and coordinates with the Cochran Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, GBI, and Department of Natural Resources.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. Cochran has a documented history of severe tornado events, including a devastating 1929 storm that killed six people and a 1958 tornado that injured sixteen and was reported to have lifted an entire church building onto a city street.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-129 and US-23 serve Cochran, the county seat and largest city, nicknamed “Castle City.”
Notes: Bleckley County was established in 1912 as Georgia’s 147th county, carved from Pulaski County and named for Logan Edwin Bleckley, a former Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. Bleckley County operates under a sole-commissioner form of government. Cochran, originally known as Dykesboro after early settler B.B. Dykes, was incorporated in 1869 and renamed for Judge Arthur E. Cochran, president of the Macon and Brunswick (later Southern) Railroad, who played a major role in developing the area. The county’s early economy centered on pine forestry and turpentine production.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Bleckley County Courthouse – Courthouse Square, Cochran, GA (built 1914, Classical Revival, architect J.J. Baldwin, builder Little, Cleckler Construction Co.; National Register of Historic Places since 1980).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Bleckley County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via bleckley.org.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Bleckley County Public Library (Cochran) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Ocmulgee River and Game Preserve, and Hillcrest (also known as Cedar Hall), an early 20th-century home on the National Register of Historic Places, are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: Cochran is home to a campus of Middle Georgia State University; the area’s earlier Middle Georgia College was the oldest two-year public college in the United States before its merger with Macon State College.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Bleckley County Tax Assessor – confirm current contact via bleckley.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via bleckley.org; Bleckley County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Bleckley County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via bleckley.org.
NOTES: Bleckley County is the twelfth county completed in Georgia’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The county’s documented severe tornado history, referenced factually, and its distinction as home to the nation’s oldest two-year public college heritage, are among the standout local facts covered in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Bleckley County
Bleckley County’s Cochran is home to one of Middle Georgia State University’s campuses – specifically, its Aviation and Aerospace Technology programs, which take advantage of the Middle Georgia Regional Airport and the uncongested airspace of rural central Georgia to train student pilots. This gives Cochran an educational and aerospace identity that its agricultural surroundings don’t immediately suggest. The county’s economy is otherwise agricultural – peanuts, cotton, timber – and Cochran serves as the commercial hub for a modest farming community.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Georgia assesses property at 40% of fair market value. Property owners have 45 days from the notice of assessment to appeal. Georgia has no estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
Bleckley County Probate Court: 306 Second Street SE, Cochran, GA 31014 | (478) 934-3200. The Probate Court handles estate administration and guardianship.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF SUPERIOR COURT (Records, Marriage Licenses)
306 SE 2nd St., Cochran, GA 31014
(478) 934-3210
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Probate Court of Bleckley County (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
Central Georgia Genealogical Society (Warner Robins) – serves Bleckley among 27 contiguous central Georgia counties (see Bibb County file for full address/contact).
No dedicated Bleckley-specific genealogical society was confirmed in available directories beyond this regional group.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Probate Court of Bleckley County 306 SE Second Street, Cochran, GA 31014 (478) 934-3200
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Georgia is NOT a Uniform Probate Code state and doesn’t use a simple dollar-threshold “small estate affidavit” like many states. Instead it offers several distinct shortcuts, each suited to a different situation:
Banking Affidavit – for intestate estates with less than $15,000 in bank deposits and no other assets requiring administration. No court filing needed at all.
No Administration Necessary (Standard Form 9) – available when all heirs agree on how to divide the property and there are no debts (or all creditors consent). Can transfer real estate without full administration, but requires unanimous heir agreement – any disagreement forces the estate into formal probate.
Year’s Support (Standard Form 10, O.C.G.A. Chapter 53-3) – a distinctively Georgia protection: the surviving spouse and minor children can petition for property sufficient to maintain their standard of living for 12 months from the date of death. This takes priority over virtually all creditor claims and even most specific bequests in the will. Must be filed within 24 months of death. No bond, no inventory filing, no creditor claims period required – the fastest and simplest path when it applies.
Formal Administration – Petition to Probate Will (Common Form or Solemn Form) or Petition for Letters of Administration, when none of the above shortcuts fit.
COMMON FORM VS. SOLEMN FORM (a distinctively Georgia choice)
Common Form: the executor files the will with supporting evidence and the court admits it without notifying all heirs – faster and cheaper, but leaves a 4-year window during which interested parties can challenge the will.
Solemn Form (Standard Form 5): requires notice to all heirs; once granted, it’s final and binding much sooner, closing off future challenges.
If formal administration is needed
File the appropriate petition with the Bleckley County Probate Court – Petition to Probate Will (Common or Solemn Form) if there’s a will, or Petition for Letters of Administration if not.
The court issues a citation, published in the county’s legal organ once a week for four weeks (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-2), giving interested parties a chance to object.
After the publication period, attend the hearing for appointment as personal representative.
Once appointed, the court issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without one).
Send certified copies of the death certificate and Letters to all banks, brokerages, insurers, and retirement custodians; request date-of-death valuations and begin marshaling assets.
Obtain an EIN via IRS Form SS-4 and open an estate checking account.
Prepare an inventory of assets with date-of-death fair market values; the court may require this under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-30.
Pay debts and expenses in Georgia’s priority order (see below), then distribute remaining assets per the will or intestacy law.
What it costs
No Georgia state estate tax or inheritance tax.
Court filing fees typically range $100–$300 depending on the county.
Certified copies of Letters typically cost around $10 each.
Indigent petitioners may file an Affidavit of Indigency to request a fee waiver.
E-filing is available and encouraged statewide through platforms like PeachCourt or Odyssey eFileGA.
DEBT PRIORITY ORDER IF THE ESTATE CAN’T PAY EVERYTHING (O.C.G.A. §§ 53-3-1, 53-7-40)
Year’s Support for surviving spouse and minor children under 18.
Funeral expenses.
Costs of probate administration.
Expenses of the decedent’s last illness.
Taxes.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
306 SE 2nd St., Cochran, GA 31014
(478) 934-3252
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / VOTER REGISTRATION
306 SE 2nd St., Cochran, GA 31014
(478) 934-3200
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
GA Dept of Public Health — South Central
(478) 934-6751
GA DFCS — Bleckley
(478) 934-6950
GA Medicaid
(800) 869-1150
Bleckley Memorial Hospital
bleckleymemorial.org (Cochran)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Bleckley County Health Department – confirm current contact via bleckley.org.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Cochran
Population: 13,000
Area: 217 sq mi
Established: 1912
Tier: 4
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Bleckley County facilities via Amazon.
