Thomas County Clerk of Superior, State & Juvenile Courts (Randa D. Wharton): the free DD-214 recording and the veteran-scam notice

Add to roadmap

The Thomas County Clerk of Superior, State & Juvenile Courts - Randa D. Wharton, Thomas County Judicial Center, 325 N. Madison Street, Thomasville (mail P.O. Box 1995, Thomasville, GA 31799; 229-225-4108, fax 229-225-4110, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) - records DD-214s free of charge, and the clerk's own page carries a February 26, 2024 veteran warning against the DD214 Direct fee service: "It is always free to file and copies are always free", citing O.C.G.A. 15-6-78(a), "Veterans not to be charged for recordation of discharge certificates".

Also called: Clerk of Superior Court, Randa D. Wharton, DD-214, discharge, military discharge, DD214 Direct, scam, 15-6-78(a), 15-6-72, 229-225-4108, 325 N. Madison Street, Thomasville, P.O. Box 1995, Judicial Center, Thomasville, Boston, Barwick, Coolidge, Meigs, Pavo, Ochlocknee.

For: Veteran or service member, survivor.

Where it applies

Written for the jurisdictions listed here.

Thomas County, GACounty

The notice. The clerk's page on thomascountyboc.org carries, beside the filing and e-recording links, a PDF signed February 26, 2024: "ATTENTION VETERANS: DON'T BE TRICKED INTO PAYING FOR YOUR DD-214. Randa D. Wharton, Clerk of Superior Court of Thomas County, has been made aware of a company operating out of Phoenix, Arizona, that is charging veterans exorbitant fees to perform a service that is statutorily required to provide free of charge. ... 'DD214 Direct has been targeting veterans by charging between $79 to $138 dollar to file a veteran's paperwork and return to them an emailed copy or a hard copy. ...' 'It is always free to file and copies are always free.'" And: "When a veteran receives their discharge paperwork from the U.S. Government shortly after the veteran retires or is discharge, immediately bring that DD214 in to the Clerk of Court office in the county in which you live to get recorded for FREE. We will give you back the original that you provided to us and we will ask if you would like to go ahead and get a couple of FREE certified copies before you leave." A lost DD-214's replacement runs through the nearest VA office or the U.S. National Archives (www.archives.gov), and the replacement "can bring it into our office to record for FREE." The notice's citation: "O.C.G.A. 15-6-78(a) Veterans not to be charged for recordation of discharge certificates. All clerks of the superior courts are prohibited from charging any veteran a fee for recording his discharge certificate pursuant to Code Section 15-6-72." Where and who. Randa D. Wharton, Clerk of Superior, State & Juvenile Courts; office hours "8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday"; mailing address P.O. Box 1995, Thomasville, GA 31799; street address for FedEx and UPS 325 N. Madison Street, Thomasville, GA 31792; phone (229) 225-4108, fax (229) 225-4110. The Southern Judicial Circuit's locations page gives the same clerk's office number at both the Judicial Center (325 North Madison Street) and the Historic Courthouse (225 North Broad Street). A Thomas veteran records the DD-214 at the clerk's office and asks there for the free certified copies.

Thresholds

Thresholds for Thomas County Clerk of Superior, State & Juvenile Courts (Randa D. Wharton): the free DD-214 recording and the veteran-scam notice
Gate	Rule
Any veteran with a discharge	The recording and the certified copies are free per the clerk’s own notice, citing O.C.G.A. 15-6-78(a); the record’s confidentiality follows 15-6-72. No rating is needed.

Sources

Updated

Last updated 2026-11-03.

What changed then:

First published.

Request an update

Out of date, a broken link, or something else wrong? Say what you found, and an editor checks it against the official source.

Disclaimer

VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.