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Georgia · South Georgia · #643
Irwin County, Georgia
In the wiregrass country of south Georgia, Ocilla calls itself the Sweet Potato Capital of Georgia - growing the orange-fleshed tuber in the sandy loam soils of the coastal plain at volumes that supply grocery stores across the Southeast, in a county that is unpretentiously proud of knowing what it grows.
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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: Irwin County Sheriff’s Office – 400 S Irwin Avenue, Ocilla, GA 31774 | (229) 468-4111 / (229) 468-7459 | Email: [email protected]. Services include patrol, county jail administration, and fingerprint-based criminal history checks through the Georgia Crime Information Center.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. The office has publicly warned residents about phone scammers impersonating deputies by name and spoofing local numbers – always verify any such call directly with the office.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-129 and SR-107 serve Ocilla, the county seat and largest city, part of the Fitzgerald Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Notes: Irwin County was created December 15, 1818, Georgia’s 41st county, named for Governor Jared Irwin, who helped revise the state constitution in 1789 and 1798 and was known for his firm opposition to the Yazoo land fraud. Irwin County is genuinely a significant Civil War historic site: Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured by Union cavalry near Irwinville on May 10, 1865, after his party camped there for the night – the location is preserved today as the Jefferson Davis Memorial Historic Site. In the war’s final years, the county gained the nickname “the Republic of Irwin” for the strong Unionist sympathies of many of its residents. Numerous surrounding Georgia counties – including Cook, Colquitt, Lanier, Lowndes, Brooks, Atkinson, and Echols – were formed in whole or in part from Irwin County’s original territory.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Irwin County Courthouse – 207 S. Irwin Avenue, P.O. Box 186, Ocilla, GA | (229) 468-5356 (built 1910, cost $52,000, Neoclassical, blond brick, builder Fall City Construction Co., featuring a domed clock tower with four hooded clocks; National Register of Historic Places since 1980).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Irwin County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via irwincounty-ga.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Irwin County Public Library (Ocilla) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Jefferson Davis Memorial Historic Site near Irwinville marks the site of the Confederate president’s capture and is the county’s most historically significant attraction. Irwin County is genuinely a leading Georgia agricultural county, with over 145,000 acres devoted to farming.
Notes: Confirm current parks and recreation facilities via irwincounty-ga.gov.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Irwin County Tax Assessor – confirm current contact via irwincounty-ga.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via irwincounty-ga.gov; Irwin County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Irwin County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via irwincounty-ga.gov.
NOTES: Irwin County is the seventy-ninth county completed in Georgia’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine historical significance of the Jefferson Davis Memorial Historic Site, marking the Confederate president’s 1865 capture, 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 Irwin County
Irwin County’s sweet potato identity is genuine agricultural specialization – the sandy loam soils and long growing season of the south Georgia coastal plain are well-suited to sweet potato production, and the county’s farms produce significant commercial volumes destined for grocery distribution. Agriculture is the county’s economic foundation: peanuts, cotton, timber, and sweet potatoes in the flatwoods terrain that defines south Georgia’s inland wiregrass region. Ocilla is a small south Georgia county seat with the modest character of a farming community’s commercial center.
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
Irwin County Probate Court: 202 South Irwin Avenue, Ocilla, GA 31774 | (229) 468-5136. 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)
202 S. Irwin Ave., Ocilla, GA 31774
(229) 468-7380
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Probate Court of Irwin County (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Southwest Georgia Genealogical Society (Albany) serves Irwin among 29 counties.
Local societies
Southwest Georgia Genealogical Society (see above) is the primary regional resource; no dedicated Irwin-County-only 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
Probate Court of Irwin County 301 S. Irwin Avenue, Ocilla, GA 31774 Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Judge: Hon. Ronnie L. McCurdy.
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 Irwin 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
202 S. Irwin Ave., Ocilla, GA 31774
(229) 468-5531
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / VOTER REGISTRATION
202 S. Irwin Ave., Ocilla, GA 31774
(229) 468-7438
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
(229) 468-7445
GA DFCS — Irwin
(229) 468-5756
GA Medicaid
(800) 869-1150
Irwin County Hospital
irwincountyhospital.com (Ocilla)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Irwin County Health Department – confirm current contact via irwincounty-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: Ocilla
Population: 9,500
Area: 357 sq mi
Established: 1818
Tier: 4
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Irwin County facilities via Amazon.
