Cobb County State Court Profile

About Cobb County State Court

State Court is a court of limited jurisdiction. It was set up by the Georgia General Assembly to take pressure off the higher Superior Court. In Cobb, that means State Court hears almost every misdemeanor case, plus a big slice of civil claims and most traffic tickets. The court sits at the Cobb County Courthouse on Marietta Square. The official State Court page on the county site gives the full picture of court services.

The court runs Monday through Friday. Doors open at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. It is closed on county holidays. The main switchboard is (770) 528-2622. For case help, the State Court Clerk and the Traffic Violations Bureau share one line at (770) 528-2660. Most filings, payments, and case lookups now flow through the clerk's office and the court's online tools.

The county opened a drive-through court window in early 2026. It was the first of its kind in Georgia. Drivers can now pay fines without parking and walking inside. The window sits at the State and Magistrate Court Clerk's Office Express location. It cut wait times for routine payments.

Cobb State Court's home page is the best starting point for first-time users. The site lists hours, judges, divisions, and links to the search tools. Most pages on the site lead back to the clerk for the next step. The clerk runs the public counter and the online portal. Lead-in to a screenshot of the live page is below, with the source linked in the prose.

For a quick visual of the court's main entry point, the official Cobb State Court landing page is shown below.

That page is the trunk of the tree. Branches lead to the clerk, the judges, traffic, jury duty, and the record search. Most users hop from this page to the clerk page in one click.

Jurisdiction and Case Types in State Court

State Court does not hear felonies. It does not hear divorce, child custody, or land title cases. Those go up to Superior Court. State Court also does not handle small claims under $15,000 or eviction filings. Those go down to Magistrate Court. What is left is still a huge case load. The court hears nearly all misdemeanor crimes that happen in Cobb. It hears most civil suits that ask for money damages above the magistrate cap. It hears every traffic case written in the unincorporated parts of the county.

City tickets are a separate track. Each city in Cobb runs its own municipal court for tickets written inside that city's limits. So a speeding ticket in Marietta or Smyrna goes to that city's court, not State Court. A speeding ticket on an unincorporated county road goes to State Court. This split trips up a lot of first-time defendants. The citation itself shows the court name. People should read the bottom of the ticket before they call.

Some ordinance cases also land in State Court. So do appeals from a few lower forums. The court's civil docket includes auto wreck suits, contract claims, premises liability, and many other money disputes. Juries in State Court can hear both civil and criminal cases.

State Court Judges and Court Administration

The court is led by a Chief Judge. Eric Brewton serves in that role. He sets the docket calendar and supervises the court's other judges. Court Administrator Donna Tschappat handles the day-to-day side. She manages staff, jury operations, and court scheduling. Judges are elected on the nonpartisan ballot for four-year terms. The clerk's office is run by Tahnicia Phillips, who oversees the records counter and the online search tools.

The court divides work between a civil division and a criminal division. Both share the same building. The clerk's office routes filings to the right judge based on case type. The State Court Clerk page lists the full slate of clerk duties and case help phone numbers.

The clerk's office also runs the Traffic Violations Bureau. That bureau lets drivers pay routine tickets without a court date. For a closer look at the clerk's office and what staff handle, the Clerk of State Court page on this site goes deeper.

A snapshot of the official State Court Clerk hub is shown below. The lead-in here links the source page. The follow-up note ties it back to the work the office actually does.

The Clerk of State Court page is the source for the screenshot below.

That page is the gateway for case help, traffic info, and the record search. Most calls to the clerk start from links on this page.

Traffic Cases in State Court

Traffic is the largest single case type in Cobb State Court. Every ticket written by the Cobb Sheriff or by the Georgia State Patrol in unincorporated Cobb comes here. The Traffic Violations Bureau handles routine tickets that do not need a judge. Drivers can pay these tickets online, by mail, or in person. Some tickets are not eligible for the bureau. Speeding more than a set amount over the limit, no insurance, no license, and any DUI case all need a court date.

For a full breakdown of traffic ticket options and which courts hear them, see Cobb County traffic court records. The county's traffic citation information page has the official instructions, including how to plead by mail and what to bring if a court date is required.

An image of the live traffic citation page is below. The source link sits in the lead-in just above it.

The official Cobb traffic citation page appears in the screenshot below.

That page lists the cutoff dates, the bureau fines for common offenses, and the phone tree for traffic questions. Most drivers can settle a ticket without ever talking to a judge.

Misdemeanor Cases in State Court

State Court hears almost every misdemeanor case in Cobb. That covers a long list. Simple battery. Theft under the felony cutoff. Shoplifting. Marijuana possession in small amounts. DUI. Reckless driving. Trespass. Disorderly conduct. Family violence battery. The Solicitor General prosecutes these cases, not the District Attorney. The DA handles felonies in Superior Court instead. So a Cobb misdemeanor case has its own prosecutor and its own court.

A defendant who is arrested on a misdemeanor first sees a magistrate for first appearance and bond. The case is then sent to State Court for arraignment. Pleas, motions, and trial all happen in State Court. The court can impose up to 12 months in jail per misdemeanor count under Georgia law. It can also impose probation, fines, community service, and treatment.

Diversion is an option for some first-time misdemeanor defendants. The Solicitor General's office screens cases. People who complete the program can have the charge dismissed. Records on dismissed cases may then qualify for restriction. The county-side details for sealing or restricting a record sit on the arrest records page.

For deeper background on how Cobb County prosecutes misdemeanors and how cases move through the system, the court's hierarchy ties into the broader court records overview.

Civil Cases in State Court

The civil side of State Court handles money claims. There is no upper dollar cap. A claim can be small, in the low thousands, or it can run into the millions. The court hears car wreck suits, slip and fall claims, breach of contract, debt collection, and other money disputes. Jury trials are common on the civil side. A jury in State Court has six members for civil cases. The court also handles civil appeals from magistrate court for some matters.

Cases that need equitable relief, like an injunction, a name change, or a divorce, go to Superior Court instead. So do disputes over land title. State Court's civil docket is mostly money judgments and damages.

How to Search Cobb County State Court Records

The court runs a free online search tool. It is called the State Court Record Search. Anyone can use it. A user agrees to a short disclaimer, then enters a name, a case number, or other search fields. The search returns case info, party names, charges or claims, filing dates, hearing dates, and disposition. The tool does not show every document. Sealed cases and restricted records do not appear. For full case files, a trip to the clerk's counter may be needed.

The portal is run by the clerk's office. It pulls from the same case database that the court uses. A user guide PDF is posted on the portal home page. The guide walks through every search field. The clerk also updates the portal as cases move. There is no fee to search. There is a fee for certified copies.

Below is a snapshot of the live portal home page. The source link is in the lead-in. The follow-up explains the next click for a new user.

The screenshot below is from the official State Court Record Search portal.

From that home page, a click on the Search button opens the disclaimer. After accepting the disclaimer, the search form loads. The user guide PDF is linked from the same screen.

State Court Record Search fields

The portal uses a small set of search fields. A name search is the most common path. A case number search is faster if it is known. The table below lists the live fields on the search form.

How to look up a State Court case

The steps below match the live portal. The walk-through is fast for a new user.

1. Open the State Court Record Search portal in a browser.
2. Read the disclaimer and click to accept it. The search form opens next.
3. Pick a search path. Use Last Name plus First Name for a person. Use Case Number for a known case. Use Business Name for a company.
4. Add filters as needed. Case Type narrows by docket. Date Range trims old cases.
5. Click Search. The results list shows party names, case numbers, file dates, and case type.
6. Click a result to open the case detail. Detail screens list charges or claims, hearing dates, and disposition.
7. If a certified copy is needed, note the case number and contact the clerk at (770) 528-2660. The clerk can pull the file and quote the copy fee.

For a full PDF user guide, the clerk posts the Cobb State Court Records Search user guide on the portal. The guide has screenshots for each step.

Drive-Through Court Service

Cobb opened a drive-through court window on Monday, February 23, 2026. It was the first of its kind in Georgia. The window sits at the State and Magistrate Court Clerk's Office Express. Drivers can pull up, hand over a fine payment, and leave. No parking. No security line. No long walk to the clerk's counter.

The drive-through is for fine payments and a few other quick tasks. It is not for new filings or for cases that need a judge. People with a court date still need to go inside. The Express office lists which services are eligible for the lane. For the broader clerk page that covers in-person hours and counter services, see Clerk of State Court.

The new lane was added to cut wait times. The clerk's main counter at the courthouse was running long lines during peak weeks. The Express office and the drive-through pull simple payments off the main counter. That helps both groups move faster.

A view of the official State Court Clerk general information page is below. It lists the office hours, the staff contacts, and the case help line.

The screenshot below is sourced from the State Court Clerk general information page.

The general information page is the right starting point for users who need to know whether the office is open or which line to use for a given task.

Where the Court Is Located

State Court sits on Marietta Square at 12 East Park Square. Marietta is the county seat. The courthouse complex shares a block with Superior Court, the Probate Court, and the clerks' offices. Parking is available in nearby decks. Security screening is required at every entry.

The Solicitor General's office is just across the square at 10 East Park Square, Suite 300. That office prosecutes all State Court misdemeanors and traffic cases. The Solicitor's main line is (770) 528-8500.

For mailed payments and filings, the clerk uses the same Park Square address. Always include the case number on the check or filing. The clerk's office returns mail with no case number on file.

State Court vs Superior Court vs Magistrate Court

Cobb has three main trial courts at the courthouse. They do not overlap much. Each one has a clear lane. The table below shows the split.

Each court has its own clerk and its own online search. For the felony side and divorce records, the Cobb County Superior Court page goes deeper. For small claims, evictions, and warrants, see the Cobb County Magistrate Court page. For broader open-records help in the county, see Cobb County public records.

The key thing for a first-time user is to read the citation or the case paperwork. The court name is printed on the document. A call to the wrong clerk wastes time.

Note: Court divisions and judge rosters can change after elections, so always confirm a judge or division on the official court site before a hearing.