Where to file bankruptcy in Georgia

Which Georgia court you file in, its divisions and phone, and what happens after you file.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Georgia has three districts.

Federal bankruptcy courts: 3
Courts: Northern District, Middle District and Southern District

The bankruptcy courts in Georgia

You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Georgia has three districts. Find your division by county: Northern District division pages at https://www.ganb.uscourts.gov/court/locations, Middle District county list at https://www.gamb.uscourts.gov/USCourts/counties, Southern District map on https://www.gasb.uscourts.gov/.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia

Divisions: Atlanta, Gainesville, Newnan, Rome

Clerk's phone: (404) 215-1000

Court's self-help page

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Georgia

Divisions: Filing locations: Macon, Albany, Athens, Columbus, Valdosta

Clerk's phone: Macon 478-752-3506; Columbus 706-649-7837

Court's self-help page

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Georgia

Divisions: Augusta, Brunswick, Dublin, Savannah, Statesboro, Waycross

Clerk's phone: Augusta (706) 823-6000; Savannah (912) 650-4100; Brunswick (912) 280-1376

Court's self-help page

Which state's law applies

Georgia's opt-out law defines a Georgia-domiciled debtor as someone whose domicile was in Georgia for the 180 days before filing, or for longer in that period than anywhere else.

Law: O.C.G.A. § 44-13-100(b)

In nearby states

South Carolina: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina
Alabama: Northern District, Middle District and Southern District
Tennessee: Eastern District, Middle District and Western District

Steps to file in Georgia

Check where you lived
The court is set by where you lived for most of the past 180 days.
Visit the court's website
Each court lists its divisions, hours and local rules: Northern District, Middle District and Southern District.
Get your counseling certificate
Take it before you file and keep the certificate. U.S. Trustee list of approved credit counseling agencies.
Get the forms ready
Download the official bankruptcy forms.
Get help
Ask for free help: Atlanta Legal Aid Society (metro Atlanta) and Georgia Legal Services Program (outside metro Atlanta).

Where to get free help in Georgia

Questions about filing in Georgia

How do I find my bankruptcy court in Georgia?

What are the Georgia means test numbers?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $68,478; 2 people: $84,965; 3 people: $101,479; 4 people: $123,481; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Where can I get free help with bankruptcy in Georgia?

Atlanta Legal Aid Society (metro Atlanta), Georgia Legal Services Program (outside metro Atlanta) and GeorgiaLegalAid.org (statewide legal information and help finder).

More for Georgia

What it costs to file

Chapter 7 filing fee. To file Chapter 7 you pay $338 to the court: a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee fee. A married couple filing one joint case pays one set of fees.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(A); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, items 8 and 9 (effective December 1, 2023)

Chapter 13 filing fee. To file Chapter 13 you pay $313 to the court: a $235 filing fee and a $78 administrative fee.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(B); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, item 8 (effective December 1, 2023)

Paying in installments. If you cannot pay the whole fee at once, you can ask to pay it in installments. File Official Form 103A with your petition. The court decides the plan: no more than 4 payments, all paid within 120 days after you file. For a good reason the court can give you more time, but the last payment must be made within 180 days. Until the fee is paid in full, you may not pay your lawyer or petition preparer.

Law: Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(b) (as amended Dec. 1, 2024)

Fee waiver. In Chapter 7 only, the court may waive the fee. You must have income below 150% of the official poverty line for your family size, and you must be unable to pay the fee even in installments. Ask by filing Official Form 103B with your petition. The judge decides.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(f)(1); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(c)

After you file: the meeting

About a month after you file, you must attend the 'meeting of creditors' (341 meeting). The trustee asks you questions under oath about your property and debts. Creditors may come and ask questions. No judge attends. Chapter 7: 21 to 40 days after filing. Chapter 13: 21 to 50 days after filing. Bring photo ID and proof of your Social Security number. If you file jointly, both spouses must attend.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 341, 343; Fed. R. Bankr. P. 2003(a), 4002(b)(1)

Two required courses

Credit counseling before you file. Before you file, you must take a credit counseling course (a 'briefing') from an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. You must take it within 180 days before you file. It can be in person, by phone or online, alone or in a group. Keep the certificate: you file it with your case. If you skip it, your case can be dismissed.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 109(h), 111

Debtor education after you file. After you file, you must take a second, separate course on personal financial management (debtor education) from an approved provider. In most cases you get no discharge without it. Chapter 7: file the certificate within 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors. Chapter 13: by the date of your last plan payment. Some providers send the certificate to the court for you.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 727(a)(11), 1328(g); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(b)(7), 1007(c)(4)

Where to file bankruptcy in Georgia

Short answer

The bankruptcy courts in Georgia

Which state's law applies

In nearby states

Steps to file in Georgia

Check where you lived

Visit the court's website

Get your counseling certificate

Get the forms ready

Get help

Where to get free help in Georgia

Questions about filing in Georgia

More for Georgia