Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Georgia · Southeast Georgia · #670
Tattnall County, Georgia
In the coastal plain flatwoods of southeast Georgia, Tattnall County produces Vidalia onions on its sandy soils and hosts Georgia State Prison in Reidsville - a facility that has been one of the state's primary maximum-security institutions since 1937 and whose presence shapes the county's economy and workforce in ways that the onion harvest alone cannot.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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: Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office – 108 W. Brazell Street, P.O. Box 545, Reidsville, GA 30453 | (912) 557-6777 / (912) 557-6778 | Fax (912) 557-6728; Sheriff Kyle Sapp. Services include patrol, court bailiff duties, criminal investigations, detention, and administration.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. Sheriffs of Tattnall County historically had no courthouse or dedicated jail for the first three decades of the county’s existence, until the county seat was established at Reidsville and a proper courthouse and jail built.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-280 and US-301 serve Reidsville, the county seat; Glennville is the county’s largest city.
Notes: Tattnall County was created December 5, 1801, from part of Montgomery County, named for Josiah Tattnall, then Governor of Georgia, who signed the legislative act creating the county. Reidsville, founded around 1828 and designated county seat in 1832, is named for Robert R. Reid, territorial governor of Florida; it was incorporated as a town in 1838 and as a city in 1905. During World War II, Reidsville was home to at least one prisoner-of-war camp holding captured German (Nazi) military personnel, a lesser-known chapter of local history.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Tattnall County Courthouse – Main and Brazell Streets, Reidsville, GA | (912) 557-6761.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Tattnall County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via tattnallcountyga.com.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Tattnall County Public Library (Reidsville) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The historic Nelson Hotel Bed & Breakfast in Reidsville is a notable local heritage lodging landmark. The Tattnall County Historical Society preserves and documents local history.
Notes: The Georgia Department of Corrections’ Georgia State Prison, long located in unincorporated Tattnall County near Reidsville, closed in 2022. Rogers State Prison also operates within the county.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Tattnall County Tax Assessor – confirm current contact via tattnallcountyga.com.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via tattnallcountyga.com; Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Tattnall County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via tattnallcountyga.com.
NOTES: Tattnall County is the one-hundred-and-thirty-fourth county completed in Georgia’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The lesser-known history of a World War II German POW camp at Reidsville 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 Tattnall County
Tattnall County has two economic anchors that could hardly be more different. Georgia State Prison in Reidsville – one of Georgia’s oldest and most significant correctional facilities, built in 1937 and housing some of the state’s most serious offenders – provides substantial state government employment for the county’s workforce. Simultaneously, the county lies within the federally designated Vidalia sweet onion production zone, and its farmers grow the protected-denomination onions in the same sandy, low-sulfur coastal plain soils that give Vidalia onions their distinctive sweetness.
The Altamaha River flows through the county’s western edge, providing access to one of Georgia’s most significant ecological river systems. Reidsville, the county seat, serves the county’s farming and corrections-employed population. The county’s timber economy rounds out a diverse rural economic base.
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
Tattnall County Probate Court: 108 West Brazell Street, Reidsville, GA 30453 | (912) 557-6716. 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)
108 W. Brazell St., Reidsville, GA 30453
(912) 557-4335
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Tattnall County Probate Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above); holds birth, marriage, death, and probate records. Clerk of Superior Court holds divorce records from 1880, court, and land records.
Local societies
Tattnall County Historical Society, P.O. Box 2012, Reidsville, GA 30453-2012, (912) 654-2823.
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
Tattnall County Probate Court 111 N. Main Street, Reidsville, GA 30453 (912) 557-6761
Judge: Hon. Gloria Dubberly. Tattnall County is home to two major Georgia state prisons in Reidsville.
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 Tattnall 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
108 W. Brazell St., Reidsville, GA 30453
(912) 557-6777
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / VOTER REGISTRATION
108 W. Brazell St., Reidsville, GA 30453
(912) 557-4335
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) 557-6718
GA DFCS — Tattnall
(912) 557-6777
GA Medicaid
(800) 869-1150
Meadows Regional Medical Center (Vidalia)
meadowsregional.com
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Tattnall County Health Department – confirm current contact via tattnallcountyga.com.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Reidsville
Population: 25,000
Area: 484 sq mi
Established: 1801
Tier: 4
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Tattnall County facilities via Amazon.
