Cobb County Magistrate Court

About Cobb County Magistrate Court

The Magistrate Court is a limited-jurisdiction trial court. It sits inside Georgia's six-class trial system. Above it are the Superior Court and State Court. Below it are Municipal Courts inside city limits. Cobb County is in the Cobb Judicial Circuit. The court calls itself one of the largest Magistrate Courts in the state. Its workload is split between civil filings, criminal warrant work, and pretrial functions.

The court's main mission is to give fast, low-cost access to the justice system. Most filings do not need a lawyer. Self-represented parties are common. Public services listed on the court's menu include Court Calendars, General Information, Fees and Forms, Judicial Records Search, Civil Division, Criminal Division, Accounting, Warrant Division, Wedding Ceremonies, Mediation, Pretrial Court Services, Judges, and a Magistrate FAQ. The official landing page describes the full set of duties at the Magistrate Court site.

Chief Magistrate Brendan F. Murphy leads the bench. Anne U. Gordon serves as the court's Clerk. The court works closely with the Cobb County Sheriff's Office, the Solicitor General, the District Attorney, and Probate Court. For a wider look at how cases move through Cobb, see the Superior Court page and the State Court page.

Jurisdiction and Magistrate Case Types

Magistrate Court holds limited civil and criminal jurisdiction. The civil cap is $15,000. That cap covers small claims, suits on account, suits on a note, and other money suits. Cases above the cap go to State Court or Superior Court. On the criminal side, the court does not try felonies. It handles warrant applications, first-appearance hearings, and certain ordinance and bad-check matters.

The court's docket pulls from many areas of daily life. Landlord-tenant filings make up a big share of the civil load. Garnishment filings come next. Warrant applications drive a large part of the criminal calendar. Many cases come from creditors, landlords, employers, and law enforcement agencies. Some come from private citizens who want a warrant or a small money judgment.

The full mix of Magistrate cases includes small claims, dispossessory, garnishment, abandoned vehicles and vessels, mechanic's liens, transportable housing, writs of possession, suits on account, suits on note, suits on other, warrant applications, first-appearance and pretrial work, mediation, weddings, ordinance violations, bad-check citations, county-ordinance cases, and parking tickets. See the county court overview for jurisdiction summaries.

Small Claims and Dispossessory in Cobb Magistrate Court

Small claims in Magistrate Court are money cases up to $15,000. Any adult can file. A business can file too. The court does not appoint a lawyer for civil cases. The small-claims page is clear about this. Many parties go forward on their own. The court has plain-English forms and walks filers through the basic steps at the clerk's window.

Dispossessory cases are eviction cases. A landlord files a dispossessory affidavit. The tenant has seven days to file an answer. If the answer is timely, the court sets a hearing. If no answer comes in, the landlord may seek a default writ of possession. The court hears the most common eviction grounds. Those are non-payment of rent, holdover, and lease violations. Dispossessory work is one of the largest civil case types in Cobb.

To learn what records exist after filing, see the search portal walkthrough below. Civil case search results include party names, case number, filing date, case type, and case activity. Documents may open in a new tab if available. For a broader view of civil case records, see court records and court dockets.

How to File a Small Claim in Cobb Magistrate Court

1. Confirm the dollar amount is $15,000 or less and that Magistrate Court is the right venue. Higher claims go to State Court or Superior Court.
2. Fill out the civil claim form from the fees and forms page. Use full legal names and a clear, short statement of the claim.
3. Pay the filing fee and the entry-of-service fee per defendant at the clerk's office. The court accepts cash, credit cards, money orders, certified checks, and business checks for civil filings.
4. The Sheriff or a court-approved server delivers the claim to the defendant. Keep proof of service in your case file.
5. Wait for the defendant's answer. The defendant has 30 days from service in most civil claims. If no answer comes in, ask the clerk how to seek a default judgment.
6. Attend the hearing on the date set by the court. Bring all proof, contracts, photos, receipts, and witnesses.
7. If you win, the court enters a judgment. You may then move to collect, including through a separate garnishment case.

Garnishment and Civil Filings

Garnishment is a court-ordered tool to collect a debt. It reaches a third party. That third party is most often a bank or an employer. The court's civil dropdown lists several garnishment types. These are Bank Garnishment, Continuing Garnishment, Continuing Child Support Garnishment, and Regular Garnishment. Each type has its own rules and forms. The Civil Division page at the civil division site covers the basics.

Other civil filings show up under the court's case-type taxonomy. They include Abandoned Vehicle, Abandoned Vessel, General Civil, Interrogatories, Judgment / Domestication, Mechanic's Lien, Suit on Account, Suit on Note, Suit on Other, Transportable Housing, Vacate & Set Aside, and Writ of Possession. Each filing must include the right form, the right fee, and good proof of service. The clerk's office can answer basic procedure questions but cannot give legal advice.

Note: Civil case addresses on the public search portal may reflect the filing address or a later case-management address, so they are not a verified current-address locator.

Warrants and the Warrant Division

The Warrant Division is one of the most active parts of the Magistrate Court. Magistrate judges hear warrant applications and decide if probable cause exists. The Sheriff's Office then serves criminal warrants in the field. The Sheriff's field-operations page describes warrant service as one of the most dangerous duties for deputies. For a deeper look at warrant types and searches, see the warrant records page.

Public access to the warrant inquiry portal is limited. The official portal at the warrant inquiry login is open only to members of the State Bar of Georgia. A non-attorney user cannot create an account. People who want to know if a warrant exists should call the Magistrate Warrant Division or the Sheriff's Warrant Information line. Both can offer general guidance on next steps and bond.

Common warrant types in Cobb include arrest warrants, bench warrants, search warrants, fugitive or out-of-county warrants, and bad-check warrants. Bad-check filings go through the Bad Check Division and need a $20 cash-only application fee. Search warrants are not searchable by the public before service. If a warrant shows up against you, do not rely on a third-party site. Call the court or talk to a lawyer first.

Magistrate Civil Case Types Available Online

The Magistrate Court Record Search portal lets users filter by case type. The civil and criminal dropdowns mirror the court's internal taxonomy. The list below shows what each side of the search will accept. The portal updates nightly, so cases filed today may not appear until the next morning.

Civil dropdown options:

• Abandoned Vehicle / Abandoned Vessel
• Bank Garnishment, Continuing Garnishment, Continuing Child Support Garnishment, Regular Garnishment
• Dispossessory and Writ of Possession
• General Civil, Suit on Account, Suit on Note, Suit on Other
• Interrogatories, Judgment / Domestication, Mechanic's Lien
• Transportable Housing, Vacate & Set Aside

Criminal dropdown options:

• Application Hearing
• Bad Check Citation
• County Ordinance and Parking Ticket
• Domestic Violence
• MCS Warrants, Rejected Warrants, and Warrant

How to Search Magistrate Court Records

The court runs a public search tool at the Magistrate record search portal. The tool covers small claims, dispossessory, garnishment, civil money suits, ordinance cases, and warrant case types listed above. Users must accept a disclaimer first. After that, the search page loads with both Name/Dates and Case Number tabs. The system uses reCAPTCHA. Search by court referenced through the Search Judicial Records hub.

The official guide at the records-search user guide walks through field use and result tools. The fields below match the live form.

The official Magistrate record search portal is shown on the court's search site.

The disclaimer screen sets expectations on data scope and address accuracy before the search form loads.

After disclaimer acceptance, the actual search form appears as shown on the live search form.

The form lets users mix party names, date ranges, and case-type filters in the same query for narrower results.

Result tools include sortable columns, drag-to-group, and quick-view arrows. Case Details and Documents open in a new tab. The system returns only the first 5,000 records, so broad queries should be narrowed by date, case type, or party.

Note: The portal is for general public use, not for bulk data scraping or automated queries.

Filing Fees and Forms

Magistrate fees vary by case type. The court posts the most current list at the fees and forms page. Payment options include credit card, cash, business check, money order, or certified check for civil matters. Warrant and bad-check filings are cash only. A $4 per-case fee applies to credit-card payments. Confirm the current amount with the clerk before you file.

The fees and forms page lists every common filing fee in one place, as shown on the official site.

The same page also hosts downloadable forms for civil filings, warrant applications, and bad-check work.

Other fees may apply for service, publication, garnishment answers, or post-judgment work. The clerk can give a written quote at the counter. Forms include civil claim, dispossessory, garnishment, abandoned vehicle, warrant application, and bad-check application. Most forms can also be filed in person at 32 Waddell Street.

Mediation and Weddings

Cobb Magistrate Court runs a volunteer mediation program. Trained mediators help parties try to settle a civil case before trial. Mediation is free in most Magistrate cases. It is often faster than a full hearing. Many small claims and dispossessory cases reach a deal at mediation. The court also offers civil wedding ceremonies. Wedding ceremony scheduling routes through (770) 528-8900.

Mediation is fully voluntary. Either party can stop and ask for a trial. If a deal is reached, the mediator helps write it up. The court can then make the deal part of its order. For wedding ceremonies, couples must first get a marriage license from Probate Court. Probate Court handles licenses, not ceremonies. The split is a common point of confusion, so plan both stops.

Chief Magistrate and Court Administration

Brendan F. Murphy serves as Chief Magistrate. Anne U. Gordon serves as the Magistrate Court Clerk. The Chief Magistrate oversees the bench, sets policy, and appoints associate magistrate judges. In August 2025, Chief Magistrate Murphy appointed two new judges to the Cobb bench. The court's day-to-day operations run through the Civil Division, the Criminal Division, the Warrant Division, and the Accounting Division.

In October 2023, the Judicial Council of Georgia recognized Cobb Magistrate and Probate Courts for top-tier caseload management. The state body said both courts were in the top 10 percent for clearance-rate measures. That track record reflects strong workflow at the clerk's window, on the bench, and in the back office. Some payment and intake services will also route through a new drive-through window operated jointly with State Court under the State & Magistrate Court Clerk's Office Express, opening in early 2026.

The court works in close contact with the public records system, the Sheriff's Office, Probate Court, and the State Court. For records that begin at arrest and then move to indictment, the trail often runs through Magistrate first, then on to State Court or Superior Court. See the Superior Court page for general-jurisdiction matters.

Where the Court Is Located

Cobb Magistrate Court sits in downtown Marietta. Its building is on Waddell Street, near Marietta Square. The same address holds Probate Court, Juvenile Court, and the Public Defender. Superior Court and the Superior Court Clerk are a short walk away on Haynes Street. State Court is on East Park Square. The cluster forms the Cobb judicial complex.

The Sheriff's field operations group serves warrants out of the same downtown area. The Sheriff's role is shown on the Sheriff field operations page.

The page covers the Civil Section, Court Security, and the Fugitive/Warrant Section that backs up the Magistrate Warrant Division.

Parking is around Marietta Square. Bring a photo ID. Security screening is in place at the courthouse entry. For cross-court information, see court dockets, court records, the State Court page, and the Superior Court page.

Note: Court services and access hours may change during holidays or weather closures, so confirm by phone before traveling to file.