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Georgia · Blue Ridge Mountains · #610
Gilmer County, Georgia
In the Ellijay River valley at the southern end of the Blue Ridge, Gilmer County is Georgia's apple capital - and the Georgia Apple Festival each October transforms Ellijay into one of north Georgia's most genuinely festive small cities for two consecutive weekends.
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Office: Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office – 1 Broad Street, Suite #103, Ellijay, GA 30540 | Administration (706) 635-4162 | Fax (706) 635-4172 | Non-emergency dispatch (706) 635-8911 (open 24/7/365, handling all police jurisdiction routing across the county). Sheriff Stacy Nicholson, first elected in 2004 and taking office in January 2005, is the 36th sheriff in Gilmer County’s 192-year history and its longest-serving; he was re-elected to a sixth term without opposition in 2024.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. Jurisdiction within Gilmer County can be confusing – not every “Ellijay” postal address falls within the city limits of Ellijay itself; some are in East Ellijay or unincorporated Gilmer County, each served by a different agency, so calling the non-emergency dispatch number is the most reliable way to reach the right department.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SR-52 and SR-282 serve Ellijay, the county seat and largest city, in the North Georgia mountains.
Notes: Gilmer County was created December 3, 1832, from Cherokee County, named for George Rockingham Gilmer, a soldier, lawyer, legislator, congressman, and two-time Georgia governor. Ellijay was designated county seat in 1834. In 1854, parts of Gilmer and neighboring Union Counties were used to form the newly created Fannin County. During Prohibition, Gilmer County was genuinely a notorious hotbed for illegal moonshine operations, patrolled for years by ATF agent Duff Floyd, who also covered nearby Dawson County.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Gilmer County Courthouse – Courthouse Square, Ellijay, GA (current building dedicated December 2008).
Notes: The county’s previous courthouse, used from 1934 to 2003, has a genuinely unusual history: originally built in 1898 as the Hyatt Hotel (no relation to the modern Hyatt Hotels chain), it is believed to be the only Georgia courthouse building not originally constructed as a courthouse. Though listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, it was condemned by the fire marshal in 2003 for building and fire code violations; the county commission ultimately voted to demolish rather than restore it, and it was torn down in 2008.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Gilmer County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via gilmercounty-ga.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Gilmer County Public Library (Ellijay) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Gilmer County is genuinely known as the “Apple Capital of Georgia,” and Ellijay hosts the popular annual Georgia Apple Festival each October. The area’s mountainous terrain draws visitors for hiking and whitewater kayaking. Former President Jimmy Carter owned a pine-cabin second home in Ellijay.
Notes: Confirm current parks and recreation facilities via gilmercounty-ga.gov.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Gilmer County Tax Assessor – confirm current contact via gilmercounty-ga.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via gilmercounty-ga.gov; Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Gilmer County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via gilmercounty-ga.gov.
NOTES: Gilmer County is the sixty-third county completed in Georgia’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuinely unusual history of the former courthouse as a converted hotel, and Ellijay’s “Apple Capital of Georgia” status, 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 Gilmer County
Gilmer County’s Ellijay is a mountain town with a specific and well-earned identity: the Georgia Apple Festival, held on the second and third weekends of October since 1971, draws upward of 200,000 visitors to a county of 34,000 people – a visitation concentration remarkable even by festival standards. The county’s apple orchards – primarily on the high slopes of the Blue Ridge around Ellijay – produce Red and Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji, and other varieties that ripen for harvest in September and October. U-pick operations and roadside stands along the apple orchard roads north of Ellijay have become a seasonal destination ritual for Atlanta families.
Ellijay has developed a genuine small-city character beyond the apple identity – a downtown with independent restaurants, galleries, and boutiques that reflect the retirement and second-home community that has moved into the county alongside the seasonal visitors. The Coosawattee River Resort and other gated communities have brought significant residential development. The county’s position at the intersection of GA-52 and GA-282 makes it accessible from Atlanta (about 90 minutes) and from Chattanooga, giving it a wide catchment for the tourism economy.
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. Georgia offers school tax exemptions for seniors 62 and older. Georgia has no estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
SENIOR SERVICES
Northwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging
1 Jackson Hill Drive NE, Rome, GA 30165
Phone: (706) 295-6485
Senior transportation, Meals on Wheels, and long-term care counseling for Gilmer County residents.
Senior Services
Northwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging
1 Jackson Hill Drive NE, Rome, GA 30165
Phone: (706) 295-6485
Senior transportation, Meals on Wheels, and long-term care counseling for Gilmer 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)
1 Broad St., Ellijay, GA 30540
(706) 635-4462
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Gilmer County Probate Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Gilmer County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
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
Gilmer County Probate Court 1 Westside Square, Ellijay, GA 30540 (706) 635-4763 Ellijay is known as the “Apple Capital of Georgia.”
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 Gilmer 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
91 Industrial Blvd., Ellijay, GA 30540
(706) 635-4336
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / VOTER REGISTRATION
1 Broad St., Ellijay, GA 30540
(706) 635-4361
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
GA Dept of Public Health — Northwest
(706) 635-4426
GA DFCS — Gilmer
(706) 635-4388
GA Medicaid
(800) 869-1150
Advent Health Gordon (Calhoun)
adventhealth.com/gordon
Mountainside Medical Center
mountainsidemedical.com (Ellijay)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Gilmer County Health Department – confirm current contact via gilmercounty-ga.gov.
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Ellijay
Population: 33,000
Area: 427 sq mi
Established: 1832
Tier: 4
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Gilmer County facilities via Amazon.
