F. Barry Wilkes

Clerk and Court Administrator

Clerks of Superior Court in Georgia have been county constitutional officers since the framers of the first state constitution of 1798 provided for election of a Clerk of Superior Court in each county of the state.

The Clerk is elected to protect and forever maintain the integrity of court, land and other cadastral records and to safeguard funds paid into the office for the benefit of individuals and the public. Court-related duties of the Clerk include processing and managing court records, collecting and disbursing all court fees, fines, and costs and providing citizens access to records. As the official custodian of public land and personal property records, the Clerk records deeds, liens, plats, Uniform Commercial Code transactions and other documents relating to ownership and security rights of individuals. The clerk approves appointments of notaries public, processes United States passport applications and is custodian of military discharge records. 

The Clerk runs the business arm of the local court system and answers first and foremost to the public, ensuring the public’s interests and convenience come first. He provides some of the most important checks-and-balances within county government and the judicial system.   He is an impartial, independent county officer who is answerable to the people of the county who elect him and is not an employee or appointee of any county or state commission or the judiciary.