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Georgia · Southwest Georgia · #657
Decatur County, Georgia
On the Flint River where southwest Georgia transitions toward the Florida panhandle, Bainbridge is the commercial hub for a cluster of small border counties - a working small city on the river with a revitalized downtown, significant pecan production, and the pragmatic identity of a place that serves its region without drama.
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Office: Decatur County Sheriff’s Office – 912 Spring Creek Road, Bainbridge, GA 39817 | (229) 248-3044 | Fax (229) 248-3850; Sheriff Wiley Griffin. The office enforces law throughout Bainbridge, Attapulgus, Climax, and Brinson as well as unincorporated areas, and operates the county jail (jail line (229) 248-3050). Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-5 PM. Bainbridge Public Safety Patrol/Police Division – 1707 Shotwell Street | (229) 248-2038, Police Chief Larry Funderburke; Fire Division – Fire Chief Dennis Mock, (229) 248-2032.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. On October 10, 2018, Bainbridge sustained widespread damage from Hurricane Michael, including downed trees, power lines, and structural damage to many homes.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-27 and US-84 serve Bainbridge, the county seat and largest city, principal city of the Bainbridge Micropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Tallahassee-Bainbridge combined statistical area. Decatur County borders Gadsden County, Florida, to the south.
Notes: Decatur County was created in 1823, its county seat Bainbridge designated in 1824. The first European settlement in the area was a late 18th-century trading post established by James Burges, giving rise to the local name “Burges’s Bluff.” The town was later named for U.S. Navy Commodore William Bainbridge, commander of the USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”), and formally incorporated December 22, 1829. Decatur County is genuinely one of Georgia’s larger counties by area, spanning 623 square miles.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Decatur County Courthouse – 112 West Water Street, Bainbridge, GA (built 1902, Neoclassical/Classical Revival, architect Alexander Blair III; National Register of Historic Places since 1980).
Notes: The First African Baptist Church in Bainbridge is separately listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Decatur County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via decaturcountyga.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Decatur County Public Library (Bainbridge) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Willis Park in downtown Bainbridge and the historic Decatur County Courthouse are among the county’s premier heritage attractions.
Notes: Confirm current parks and recreation facilities via decaturcountyga.gov.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Decatur County Tax Assessor – confirm current contact via decaturcountyga.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Decatur County Animal Control – under the supervision of the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office; call (229) 248-3044 to report nuisance or animal control ordinance violations, or 911 for emergencies.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Decatur County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via decaturcountyga.gov.
NOTES: Decatur County is the forty-fourth county completed in Georgia’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. Bainbridge’s genuine namesake connection to Commodore William Bainbridge and the USS Constitution is 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 Decatur County
Decatur County’s Bainbridge occupies a position of genuine regional significance in the southwest Georgia-north Florida border country: it is the largest city in the region between Tallahassee and Albany, making it the commercial, healthcare, and professional services hub for a wide rural catchment that extends into Florida. The Flint River at Bainbridge supports both recreational fishing and commercial navigation downstream, and the riverside city has invested in waterfront amenity development. Memorial Hospital and Manor, the county’s regional healthcare anchor, serves the surrounding multi-county area.
Decatur County is one of Georgia’s significant pecan-producing counties – the coastal plain soils and long growing season support substantial commercial pecan orchards alongside peanuts, cotton, and timber. Bainbridge College provides local higher education. The county’s Lake Seminole access (through Seminole County to the south) adds recreation.
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 offers school tax exemptions for seniors 62 and older. Georgia has no estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
Decatur County Probate Court: 112 West Water Street, Bainbridge, GA 39817 | (229) 248-3021. The Probate Court handles estate administration and guardianship.
Senior Services
Southwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging
P.O. Box 346, Camilla, GA 31730
Phone: (229) 522-3552
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)
112 W. Water St., Bainbridge, GA 39817
(229) 248-3025
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Probate Court of Decatur County (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above); holds marriage records from 1823 and probate records. Clerk of Superior Court holds divorce, court, and land records from 1823.
Local societies
Decatur County Genealogical Society, Inc., 215 E. Water Street / P.O. Box 1388, Bainbridge, GA 39818, (229) 246-6327 – a 501(c)(3) with a genealogy library of over 600 books and 600+ family files; meets 2nd Saturday monthly.
Decatur County Historical & Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 682, Bainbridge, GA 39818-0682, (229) 248-1719.
Southwest Georgia Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 4672, Albany, GA 31706.
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 Decatur County Decatur County Courthouse, 1400 E. Shotwell Street, P.O. Box 735, Bainbridge, GA 31717-0735 (229) 248-3030
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 Decatur 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
112 W. Water St., Bainbridge, GA 39817
(229) 246-1122
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / VOTER REGISTRATION
112 W. Water St., Bainbridge, GA 39817
(229) 248-3030
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
GA Dept of Public Health — Southwest
(229) 248-3025
GA DFCS — Decatur
(229) 248-2550
GA Medicaid
(800) 869-1150
Memorial Hospital and Manor
mh-m.org (Bainbridge)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Decatur County Health Department – confirm current contact via decaturcountyga.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Bainbridge
Population: 27,000
Area: 596 sq mi
Established: 1823
Tier: 4
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Decatur County facilities via Amazon.
