Authority Projects - About Notaries Public

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NOTARY INFORMATION

GENERAL INFORMATION - This information is provided to assist you prior to your presenting documents for legalization (authentication) via apostilles or domestic certifications.

Submitted documents must be originals or certified copies with pen-in-hand signatures of notaries public or public officials.
If a document is signed by an official whose signature or official seal is not on file in this office, we will direct you to the appropriate office to obtain a document suitable for legalization.

DOCUMENTS SIGNED BY PUBLIC OFFICIALS - documents signed by certain local or state officers must bear the original signature (signed by hand in ink) of the public official and be sealed with the official seal of said official. These type documents include marriage records, birth and other vital records, court documents, and corporate documents.

NOTARIAL ACTS - Notarizations must be in accordance with state of Georgia Notary Laws set fourth in {O.C.G.A. 45-17-1 et. seq.} and current GSCCCA guidelines published in the Georgia Notary Handbook, fourth edition, 2005.

A Georgia notary public is required to prepare a notarial certification which defines a specific notarial act; {O.C.G.A. 45-17-8.1(a)}
A Georgia notary public is required to sign the notarial certification, by hand in ink, only and exactly the name indicated on the notary’s commission. {O.C.G.A. 45-17-81(a)}
A Georgia notary public is required to record the exact date of the notarial act on the notarial certification. {O.C.G.A. 45-17-8.1(a)}
If commissioned or re-commissioned after July 1, 1985, a Georgia notary public is required to provide a seal of office which shall have for its impression the notary’s name, the words “Notary Public”, the name of the state (Georgia or GA), and the name of the county where the notary public is commissioned. {O.C.G.A. 45-17-6(a)}

NOTARIZED DOCUMENTS - The following lists are not exhaustive.

A Georgia notary public has the authority to witness or attest signatures on documents; witness affidavits, take verifications, take acknowledgements, and administer oaths and affirmations. {O.C.G.A. 45-17-8(a)}
A Georgia notary public has the authority to make a certified copy of a document provided the document presented for copying is an original document and is neither a public record nor a publicly recorded document; {O.C.G.A. 45-17-8(a)(6)}. Documents which can be copied and certified by a Georgia notary public include: business transactions, school diplomas, personal letters, a social security card, insurance policies, accounting statements, contracts, lease agreements, invoices or bills of sale, student permission forms, consent to give medical treatment forms, living wills, and consent to travel forms.
A Georgia notary public is prohibited from making certified copies of publicly recordable documents which include: deeds, mortgages, and other instruments dealing with real estate, vital records, birth certificates, marriage records, divorce decrees, powers of attorney, probated wills, student records or transcripts from public schools, colleges or universities, military discharges, Uniform Commercial Code documents, court pleadings, documents marked “filed” or “recorded”, most documents retained by a government office, Certificates of Naturalization, Certificates of Citizenship, Declarations of Intention to Become a Citizen, foreign passports.
A Georgia notary public is not authorized to certify the authenticity of photographs.
A Georgia notary public may make a certified copy of a U.S. Passport using the passport holder’s affidavit and certified copy guidelines provided by GSCCCA (Click on link for Passport Affidavit Form)
Documents translated from English to a foreign language must be signed by the translator in the presence of a notary public. The notary cannot act as the translator and the notary for a translated document. {O.C.G.A. 45-17-8(c)(1)&(2)}
School transcripts must be signed by an issuing official of the school in the presence of a notary public. The notary cannot act as the issuing official and the notary for a transcript document.

Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority
1875 Century Blvd, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30345
Telephone: (404)327-9058 -- Fax: (404)327-7877