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Georgia · East Georgia · #585
Bulloch County, Georgia
On the coastal plain between Savannah and Macon, Bulloch County's Statesboro has grown into a genuine university city anchored by Georgia Southern - a Sun Belt institution whose growth from a teachers college to a comprehensive research university with 27,000 students has transformed both the city and the county's economic character.
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Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office – 17257 Highway 301 N., Statesboro, GA 30458 | (912) 764-8888; confirm current sheriff via bullochsheriff.com. Uses the Everbridge (formerly CodeRED) emergency alert system.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-301 and US-80 serve Statesboro, the county seat and largest city, home to Georgia Southern University, part of the Statesboro Micropolitan Statistical Area within the broader Savannah-Hinesville-Statesboro combined statistical area.
Notes: Bulloch County was created February 8, 1796, from Bryan and Screven Counties, Georgia’s 21st county, named for Archibald Bulloch, a Revolutionary leader who served as the first Provisional Governor of Georgia from January 1776 until his death in February 1777. Portions of Bulloch County were later used to create Jenkins County (1905), Candler County (1914), and Evans County (1914).
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Bulloch County Courthouse – Courthouse Square, Statesboro, GA (built 1894, Classical Revival/Queen Anne, architects Bruce & Morgan, with a 1914 addition by Edward Columbus Hosford; National Register of Historic Places since 1980).
Notes: In an unusual arrangement, the Georgia General Assembly in 1803 agreed to name the new county seat “Statesborough” in exchange for 200 acres of donated land to build a courthouse, jail, and other public buildings – but Bulloch County had no actual courthouse until 1806. Before that, court proceedings were held in private homes or, memorably, under an “Old Walnut Tree.” The original courthouse was burned by General Sherman’s 15th Corps on December 5, 1864, during the March to the Sea. “Statesborough” was formally incorporated in 1866, later shortened to “Statesboro” – genuinely the only city of that name in the entire United States.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Bulloch County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via bullochcounty.net.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Statesboro Regional Public Library (Statesboro) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Georgia Southern University and its Georgia Southern Museum (hosting 100+ rotating exhibits annually through the “Museum on Main” program), the Averitt Center for the Arts, the Emma Kelly Theater, and Splash in the Boro Water Park are among the county’s premier cultural and recreational attractions. Downtown Statesboro, the Register Historic District, and the Eastside Historic District are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Notes: Bulloch County has four incorporated municipalities: Statesboro, Brooklet, Portal, and Register.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Bulloch County Tax Assessor – confirm current contact via bullochcounty.net.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via bullochcounty.net; Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Bulloch County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via bullochcounty.net.
NOTES: Bulloch County is the sixteenth county completed in Georgia’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, unique distinction of Statesboro as the only city of that name in the United States, alongside the memorable “Old Walnut Tree” courthouse origin story, 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 Bulloch County
Bulloch County’s Statesboro has navigated the transition from small agricultural county seat to university city with more success than many comparably situated communities. Georgia Southern University, which grew from the First District Agricultural and Mechanical School (1906) through multiple name and mission changes into a comprehensive university, brings approximately 27,000 students and significant research and healthcare presence to a county that would otherwise serve primarily as a regional hub for the surrounding agricultural counties. The university’s Eagle football program – playing in the Sun Belt Conference – generates regional sports culture and significant community identity.
The county’s agricultural heritage – tobacco, cotton, timber, poultry – persists in its rural townships while Statesboro has developed a university-economy commercial base of restaurants, retail, and professional services catering to the student and faculty population. East Georgia State College provides community college access. Bulloch County’s position on US-301 – the old “snowbird highway” used by retirees driving from the Northeast to Florida before I-95 existed – gives it some logistical character, and the county’s I-16 access to Savannah has drawn distribution development.
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 to the Board of Assessors, then to the Board of Equalization. Georgia offers school tax exemptions for seniors 62 and older. Georgia has no estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
SENIOR SERVICES
Southeast Georgia Area Agency on Aging
P.O. Box 1917, Waycross, GA 31502
Phone: (912) 285-6097
Senior transportation, Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, and long-term care counseling for Bulloch County residents.
Senior Services
Southeast Georgia Area Agency on Aging
P.O. Box 1917, Waycross, GA 31502
Phone: (912) 285-6097
Senior transportation, Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, and long-term care counseling for Bulloch County residents.
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)
20 Siebald St., Statesboro, GA 30458
(912) 764-9009
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Probate Court of Bulloch County (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Statesboro Regional Public Libraries – established 1943, serves Bulloch, Bryan, Candler, Emanuel, and Evans Counties; maintains a Bulloch County cemetery index.
Local societies
Bulloch County Historical Society, P.O. Box 42, Statesboro, GA 30459, (912) 681-1956, bullochhistory.org.
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 Bulloch County P.O. Box 1005, Statesboro, GA 30459 (912) 764-9008
The 1894 Bulloch County Courthouse (Courthouse Square, Statesboro) is Classical Revival/Queen Anne style, on the National Register of Historic Places. Statesboro is home to Georgia Southern University.
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 Bulloch 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
601 Brannen St., Statesboro, GA 30458
(912) 764-1775
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / VOTER REGISTRATION
113 N. Main St., Statesboro, GA 30458
(912) 764-6284
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
GA Dept of Public Health — Southeast
(912) 764-3025
GA DFCS — Bulloch
(912) 489-7500
GA Medicaid
(800) 869-1150
East Georgia Regional Medical Center
eastgeorgiaregional.com (Statesboro)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Bulloch County Health Department – confirm current contact via bullochcounty.net.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Statesboro
Population: 80,000
Area: 689 sq mi
Established: 1796
Tier: 3
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Bulloch County facilities via Amazon.
