Search Camden County Bankruptcy Records

Bankruptcy records in Camden County are managed by the federal court system through the Southern District of Georgia. Woodbine is the county seat, but the local courthouse does not process or store bankruptcy filings. Camden County is in the far southeast corner of Georgia along the Florida border and the Atlantic coast. The Brunswick division of the Southern District is the closest staffed court office. You can search Camden County bankruptcy records online through PACER, by phone with the free McVCIS system, or in person at the Brunswick federal clerk office.

Southern District Court and Camden County

Camden County is served by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Georgia. The Brunswick office at 801 Gloucester Street, 3rd Floor, Brunswick, GA 31520 is the closest staffed location. Phone: (912) 280-1376. Brunswick is a short drive north from Camden County.

The Savannah office is another option at 124 Barnard Street, phone (912) 650-4100. Augusta rounds out the three staffed locations. Chief Judge Michele J. Kim leads the court. Dana M. Wilson is the Clerk. For Camden County cases, the Brunswick office is the most convenient. Mail for the Brunswick division goes to 801 Gloucester Street, 3rd Floor, Brunswick, GA 31520.

The court's case information page provides online access to search tools and filing resources that apply to Camden County.

How to Search Camden County Cases

PACER is the best online search tool. Free to register. Search the Southern District of Georgia by debtor name or case number. PACER returns the complete docket, all filed documents, and real-time case status for Camden County filings. The service runs around the clock. Cost is $0.10 per page, capped at $3.00 for individual documents of 30 pages or less.

Not sure where a case was filed? Try the PACER Case Locator. It searches every federal court in the country at once. If someone from Camden County filed in Florida or another state, this tool catches it.

McVCIS at 1-866-222-8029 is free. The phone system gives basic case information including the debtor name, case number, chapter, judge, trustee, filing date, and status. Available 24/7. Pick the Southern District for Camden County records.

Camden County Bankruptcy Case Types

Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 account for most filings from Camden County. Chapter 7 liquidates non-exempt assets and discharges remaining debts. A means test under 11 U.S.C. determines who qualifies. Most cases wrap up in three to four months.

Chapter 13 allows debtors to keep property while paying back debts over three to five years. This works for Camden County residents with steady income who are behind on a mortgage or car note. Chapter 12 covers family farmers and fishermen. Chapter 11 is for business reorganization. Camden County is home to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, and military families in the area file bankruptcy under the same federal rules as everyone else. All case types produce records that are public and searchable.

Exemptions for Camden County Filers

Georgia does not allow federal bankruptcy exemptions. O.C.G.A. 44-13-100 governs what Camden County residents can protect. The homestead exemption shields up to $21,500 in home equity. Married couples may protect $43,000 in some cases. Vehicle equity: $5,000.

Other exemptions for Camden County filers:

• Personal property: $5,000 total (no item over $300)
• Jewelry: $500
• Tools of the trade: $1,500
• Wildcard: $1,200 plus up to $10,000 unused homestead

Workers compensation is fully exempt under O.C.G.A. 34-9-84. Social Security, unemployment, veterans benefits, alimony, and child support are all protected without a dollar cap. Military retirement pay and pensions are also safe. Retirement accounts including 401(k), IRA, and pension funds cannot be touched in a Camden County bankruptcy.

Fees for Camden County Records

PACER: $0.10 per page online, capped at $3.00 per small document. Free viewing at public terminals in the Brunswick clerk office. Terminal printing: $0.10. Mail or in-person copies: $0.50 per page. Certified copies: extra $12.00 per document. Records search without a case number: $34.00 using Form B1320. McVCIS: free.

Pay by money order or certified check to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court." Cash works in person at the Brunswick office.

Camden County Clerk and State Records

The Camden County Clerk of Superior Court in Woodbine handles state-level records: civil cases, criminal filings, property deeds, and liens. These are separate from federal bankruptcy filings. But state records from Camden County can connect to a bankruptcy case. A lien on local property or a civil judgment might show up in someone's federal filing. Use the GSCCCA for statewide state record searches.

The image below shows the Southern District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court homepage, the court system that handles all Camden County bankruptcy filings through the Brunswick division.

Access case search tools, filing forms, and court contact information from this site.

Filing Rules and Archived Cases

Camden County filers need 730 days of Georgia residency to use state exemptions. That is two full years. Military families who are stationed at Kings Bay but maintain legal residency in another state may need to use that state's exemptions. The rules are based on where you lived, not where you file.

Re-filing restrictions: eight years between Chapter 7 filings, four years from Chapter 7 to Chapter 13, two years between Chapter 13 filings. Closed cases eventually transfer to the National Archives. Call the Brunswick clerk at (912) 280-1376 for the reference numbers needed to order from NARA.

Note: PACER holds most recent cases, even closed ones, so check there first.

Nearby Counties

Camden County is at the very bottom of Georgia's coast. It borders fewer counties than most, with the Florida state line to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.