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Georgia · Southwest Georgia Corner · #656
Seminole County, Georgia
At Georgia's southwestern corner where the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers merge to form the Apalachicola, Seminole County's Lake Seminole is one of the finest largemouth bass fisheries in the eastern United States - a Corps of Engineers reservoir that draws anglers from across the country to the weedy flats and cypress-lined coves of the river junction.
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Office: Seminole County Sheriff’s Office – 208 Court Street, Donalsonville, GA 39845 | Office (229) 524-5115 | Fax (229) 524-8906 | Jail (229) 524-8396 | Probation (229) 524-8737; Sheriff Heath Elliot, protecting the community “Since 1920,” when the county’s office was established.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-84 and SR-39, including the historic “Three-Notch Road,” serve Donalsonville, the county seat and largest city, carrying the motto “The Gateway to Lake Seminole.”
Notes: Seminole County was created by a state constitutional amendment proposed July 8, 1920, and ratified that November 2, from portions of Decatur and Early Counties, named for the Seminole people, who once inhabited the Chattahoochee River basin here before being forced into Florida’s Everglades under settlement pressure; led by Chief Osceola, they fought two bloody frontier wars against the U.S. Army. Donalsonville, first chartered in 1897, is named for John Ernest (Jonathan E.) Donalson, a prominent local businessman who built the town’s first lumber mill and homes for its workers, paving the way for the town’s growth; it was designated Seminole County’s seat when the county formed in 1920 and became a city by 1922.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Seminole County Courthouse – Courthouse Square, Donalsonville, GA (built 1922, renovated 1977-78, Beaux Arts, architect William J.J. Chase, builder Opelika Construction Co.; National Register of Historic Places since 1980), described in a 1980 architectural survey as “the most outstanding building in Donalsonville” and one of the state’s more distinguished 1920s courthouses, part of the Donalsonville Historic District.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Seminole County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via seminolecountyga.com.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Seminole County Public Library (Donalsonville) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Lake Seminole, created behind the Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam, turned formerly swampy terrain into a major water recreation resource, with Seminole State Park, Fairchild State Park, and Reynoldsville State Park all along its shores. Downtown Donalsonville hosts the annual Harvest Festival each October, celebrating the county’s leading industry, agriculture, with arts and crafts, a parade, food, and competitions. Seminole County sits above one of the largest known aquifers in the world.
Notes: Confirm current parks and recreation facilities via seminolecountyga.com.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Seminole County Tax Assessor – confirm current contact via seminolecountyga.com.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via seminolecountyga.com; Seminole County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Seminole County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via seminolecountyga.com.
NOTES: Seminole County is the one-hundred-and-twenty-seventh county completed in Georgia’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The transformation of swampland into Lake Seminole’s water recreation resource, and the county’s position above one of the world’s largest known aquifers, 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 Seminole County
Seminole County occupies Georgia’s southwestern corner, where the Flint River and the Chattahoochee River converge at Lake Seminole to form the Apalachicola River – one of the most biodiverse river systems in the eastern United States. Lake Seminole, impounded in 1957 by Jim Woodruff Dam, is renowned among largemouth bass anglers for the quality and abundance of its trophy fishery in a reservoir whose shallow, weedy character provides ideal bass habitat. The lake draws competitive fishing tournaments and recreational anglers whose spending supports the county’s tourism economy alongside the agricultural base.
Donalsonville is a small southwest Georgia city providing governmental and commercial services for the county’s farming community. The county’s agricultural economy – peanuts, cotton, timber – is typical of southwest Georgia’s wiregrass region.
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
Seminole County Probate Court: 200 South Knox Avenue, Donalsonville, GA 39845 | (229) 524-5256. 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)
200 S. Knox Ave., Donalsonville, GA 39845
(229) 524-2878
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Probate Court of Seminole County (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Southwest Georgia Genealogical Society (Albany) serves Seminole among 29 Southwest Georgia counties.
Local societies
Southwest Georgia Genealogical Society (see above) is the primary regional resource; no dedicated Seminole-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 Seminole County 200 S. Knox Avenue, Donalsonville, GA 39845
Judge: Hon. Amos John Sheffield. Seminole County is near Lake Seminole in Georgia’s far southwest corner.
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 Seminole 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
200 S. Knox Ave., Donalsonville, GA 39845
(229) 524-5115
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / VOTER REGISTRATION
200 S. Knox Ave., Donalsonville, GA 39845
(229) 524-2878
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) 524-5119
GA DFCS — Seminole
(229) 524-2259
GA Medicaid
(800) 869-1150
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital (Albany)
phoebeputney.com
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Seminole County Health Department – confirm current contact via seminolecountyga.com.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Donalsonville
Population: 8,500
Area: 238 sq mi
Established: 1920
Tier: 4
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Seminole County facilities via Amazon.
