Georgia Letters of Guardianship: How to Get Certified Copies and Where You Will Need Them

You went through the petition, the background check, the notice process, and the hearing. The judge signed the order and you took the oath. Now you are holding a piece of paper called "Letters of Guardianship" and wondering what exactly it does and how many copies you need.

What Letters of Guardianship Actually Are

Letters of guardianship are the official document that proves your legal authority over the child. The order grants you guardianship. The letters prove it to everyone else. Think of the order as the court's internal decision and the letters as the portable proof you carry out the door.

In Georgia, the probate clerk issues certified Letters of Guardianship after the guardian executes the formal oath (GPCSF Supplement 4). The certified letters serve as official legal proof of authority for schools, medical providers, and state benefit agencies.

Certified vs. Uncertified Copies

A certified copy is the probate court's official proof of the guardianship. Schools, medical providers, and state benefit agencies use certified Letters of Guardianship; ask each institution whether it requires its own certified copy or accepts another copy.

The cost in the county fee examples is $10 per certification plus $1 per page.

Ask each agency whether it needs a separate certified copy or will accept another copy, and whether it will return the document.

Where You Will Need Certified Letters

Here is where certified letters get presented most often:

School enrollment. School enrollment officials are among the third parties that use certified Letters of Guardianship as official proof of your authority. Some districts also accept a caregiver affidavit or power of attorney for enrollment; confirm the district's requirements.

Medical providers. Pediatricians, dentists, hospitals, and mental health providers need proof that you can consent to treatment. A certified copy of your letters establishes that authority. Keep one in the child's medical file.

Georgia Gateway (TANF, Medicaid, SNAP). When you apply for child-only TANF, Medicaid, or SNAP through Georgia Gateway, the benefits agency requires documentation of your legal relationship to the child. Certified letters of guardianship satisfy the caretaker relative verification requirement.

Social Security Administration. If you are applying for survivor benefits or SSI on behalf of the child, the SSA requires proof of legal guardianship. Bring a certified copy to your local SSA office.

Insurance companies. Adding the child to your health, dental, or auto insurance policy typically requires proof of legal guardianship or custody.

Banks and financial institutions. A guardian of the person does not automatically have authority to manage the child's property. If the child is entitled to assets worth more than $25,000, a parent or guardian generally must petition the probate court for conservatorship. Ask the bank what documents it requires.

How to Get Additional Copies Later

If you run out of certified copies — or one gets lost — contact the probate court where the guardianship was granted to request more. Ask the clerk what identifying information is required, how to submit the request, and how long processing takes.

Request methods differ by court. Contact the clerk first to confirm how to request copies and the current fees.

Do Letters Expire?

Letters of guardianship in Georgia do not have a printed expiration date. They remain valid for as long as the guardianship order is in effect — typically until the child turns 18, is adopted, is emancipated, or the court enters an order terminating the guardianship.

An agency may ask for current certified letters. If it does, confirm its requirements with the agency and request an updated certified copy from the clerk if needed.

Keep Your Letters Safe

Store your original certified copies in a safe but accessible place. A fireproof lockbox at home works well. Keep a clear color scan on your phone for situations where you need to show proof quickly but do not have the physical document — though most agencies still require the paper certified copy for their files.

The Guardianship and Custody for Grandparents and Relatives in Georgia guide includes a checklist of every agency where you will need to present certified letters, along with what else each agency requires, so you can handle all of it in one organized round of visits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a regular photocopy of my letters instead of a certified copy?

Certified Letters of Guardianship are the court's official proof of authority. Ask the school, provider, or agency whether it accepts a plain photocopy or requires a certified copy for its file.

How many certified copies should I order?

Ask the school, medical providers, benefits agencies, and other institutions how many certified copies they need. The county fee examples list $10 per certification plus $1 per page.

What if I lost my certified letters?

Contact the probate court with your case details and ask the clerk how to request replacement certified copies and how long processing takes.

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