Each clerk shall maintain the dockets as provided in this Rule 39 of the following, each of which shall include the information required under these rules. Each docket shall bear the name of the docket, the county, and a unique consecutive number. No other dockets shall be required to be kept except those relating to real estate.
Rule 39.1.Dockets to be Maintained
Rule 39. DOCKETING AND INDEXING · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceRule 39.1 requires the clerk of superior court to maintain the specific dockets listed elsewhere in Rule 39 — each labeled with its name, county, and a unique sequential number — and bars any additional docket requirement beyond those tied to real estate records.
Full Text of Rule 39.1
Plain-English Summary
Rule 39.1 is the umbrella provision for Georgia’s superior court docketing system. It tells the clerk of each county which logs — called dockets — they must keep, and it points to the more detailed rules that follow (39.2 through 39.9) to spell out what belongs in each one.
The rule also sets a floor and a ceiling. Every docket the clerk keeps must carry three identifying features: a name, the county it belongs to, and a unique, consecutive number. That combination lets anyone tracing a case pin down exactly which book and entry to check.
Just as important, the rule limits what clerks can be asked to maintain. Beyond the dockets Rule 39 already requires, the only other kind a clerk must keep involves real estate records. This keeps clerks’ offices from being burdened with duplicative or locally invented docket systems, and it gives litigants and the public a predictable, uniform set of records to search across all 159 counties.
Frequently Asked Questions
What dockets must a superior court clerk maintain under Rule 39?
The clerk must maintain the dockets described throughout Rule 39, including the civil docket, criminal docket, lis pendens docket, general execution docket, and adoption docket, each carrying the information those specific provisions require.
What information must appear on every docket the clerk keeps?
Each docket must bear the name of the docket, the county it covers, and a unique consecutive number.
Can a county require the clerk to keep dockets beyond those listed in Rule 39?
No, except for dockets relating to real estate — Rule 39.1 states that no other dockets are required beyond those tied to real property.
Does Rule 39.1 apply to every superior court in Georgia?
Yes, it directs “each clerk” to maintain the dockets described in Rule 39, without limiting the requirement to particular counties or circuits.
Why does the rule require a unique consecutive number for each docket?
Assigning a unique consecutive number to each docket lets the clerk’s office and the public identify and locate specific docket books and entries within them.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Uniform Superior Court Rules, published by the
Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
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