Note: If you completed a notary application online, you have thirty days from the time you completed the notary application to file it with the county clerk of superior court’s office. If you do not file your application within thirty days, you will need to complete a new application.
IMPORTANT: Effective January 1, 2025, a notary public applicant must complete an education training course relating to the duties of notaries public prior to the initial appointment.
Visit the Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority’s website for more information on how to become a notary in Georgia.
To become a notary in Georgia, you must meet all the following eligibility requirements:
To renew your Georgia notary commission, follow the same steps you took when you applied to become a notary the first time. You can renew your notary commission within thirty days of your notary commission expiration date. If you provided the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA) with an e-mail address, a renewal notification will be sent to you thirty days prior to expiration of your notary commission.
IMPORTANT: Effective January 1, 2025, a notary public applicant must complete an education training course relating to the duties of notaries public within thirty days prior to a renewal appointment.
The clerks of the superior courts appoint and commission Georgia notaries public and issue applicants’ notary certificates of appointment The Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA) keeps a record of the names of the notaries public appointed.
Yes. An out-of-state resident can become a Georgia notary public if the person:
The term of office of a Georgia notary public is four years. A notary cannot notarize documents after their notary commission expires without first renewing their notary commission.
Georgia state law does not require notary applicants (new or renewal) to complete a course of study or examination. However, some clerks of superior court might require notary applicants to take the notary training course and pass an exam. The training and exam are available on the Georgia Superior Court Clerk’s Cooperative Authority's website.
Georgia notaries interested in learning Georgia notary law can purchase a notary handbook available on the American Association of Notaries website.
IMPORTANT: Effective January 1, 2025, a notary public applicant must complete an education training course relating to the duties of notaries public prior to the initial appointment and within thirty days prior to a renewal appointment.
The cost to become a notary in Georgia includes:
Other expenses include the cost of purchasing:
A notary errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policy is not required to become a Georgia notary public or to renew your notary commission. However, the American Association of Notaries strongly recommends that every Georgia notary obtain a notary E&O insurance policy. A notary E&O policy covers unintentional notarial mistakes and pays for legal fees and damages based on the coverage you select as a Georgia notary public.
Georgia notary errors and omissions insurance policies are available to order online at the American Association of Notaries website: https://www.notarypublicstamps.com/notary-insurance/georgia.
No. Georgia does not require you to provide proof of a notary bond in order to become a notary public or to renew your notary public commission.
A notary public is liable to any person for damages that result from their negligence, errors, or omissions. Georgia notaries are encouraged to purchase a notary E&O insurance policy to insure themselves against unintentional mistakes.
Georgia notary law requires all Georgia notaries public to use either an embossed notary seal or an inked notary stamp to authenticate all notarial acts.
The Georgia notary seal or stamp must contain the following information:
The American Association of Notaries offers quality notary stamps and seals at savings of up to 40% compared to the cost of the same products elsewhere. Click here to order your Georgia notary stamp, notary seal, complete notary package, and other notary supplies.
To replace your lost or stolen notary seal, you must:
Georgia notary fees are set by state law (O.C.G.A. § 45-17-11). The maximum allowable fees that a Georgia notary public may charge for notarial acts are listed below:
Note:
Notary journal requirements in Georgia for traditional notarizations – Georgia law does not require notaries to maintain a journal of notarial acts; however, the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority strongly encourages notaries to maintain a journal to protect the integrity of the acts. A notary journal can be maintained on a tangible medium or in an electronic format.
A notary journal (also known as a record book, log book, or register book) is your first line of defense in proving your innocence if a notarial act you performed is questioned or if you are requested to testify in a court of law about a notarial act you performed in the past. A properly recorded notarial act creates a paper trail that will help investigators locate and prosecute signers who have committed forgery or fraud. Properly recorded notarial acts provide evidence that you followed your state laws and notary’s best practices.
The American Association of Notaries offers notary journals in tangible and electronic formats.
Click here to purchase a tangible notary journal.
Click here to become a member and access our electronic notary journal.
If you choose to maintain a notary journal, the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority recommends that you record the following information:
Since notary journals are optional, Georgia notary laws do not address this question. If your notary journal was stolen or lost, we recommend you contact the appropriate law enforcement agency.
Georgia notary laws do not address this question, since notary journals are optional. We recommend you keep the notary journal indefinitely.
Georgia notaries are authorized to perform notarial acts while physically located anywhere within the geographic borders of the state of Georgia.
A Georgia notary public is authorized to perform the following notarial acts (O.C.G.A. § 45-17-8):
A Georgia notary is allowed to perform the following types of notarizations:
Traditional notarizations – This type of notarization requires the signer and the notary to meet physically in the same room within face-to-face proximity of one another. Traditional notarization involves an individual signing a tangible document with an inked pen and a notary public signing and affixing an inked notary seal impression to the tangible notarial certificate.
Electronic notarizations: The state of Georgia has not yet adopted statutes or regulations that establish rules, guidelines, standards, and procedures for notarizations on electronic documents. Nevertheless, Georgia has adopted the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, including the provision on notarization and acknowledgment (O.C.G.A. § 10-12-1 through 10-12-20), which authorizes electronic signatures used by Georgia notaries. O.C.G.A. § 10-12-11 states, “If a law requires a signature or record to be notarized, acknowledged, verified, or made under oath, such requirement shall be satisfied if the electronic signature of the person authorized to perform those acts, together with all other information required to be included by other applicable law, is attached to or logically associated with the signature or record.” Moreover, Georgia adopted the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act (O.C.G.A. § 44-2-35 through 44-2-39.2), which authorizes electronic signatures.
Most importantly, Georgia state law requires that a document signer personally appear before a notary public and be physically close enough to see, hear, communicate, and give identification credentials without the use of electronic devices, including telephones, computers, video cameras, or video conferences during the entire performance of the notarial act. Therefore, Georgia notaries public are prohibited from performing online webcam notarizations.
If your residence or business address, whichever was used for your appointment, changes during your notary commission term, you must within thirty days:
Note: Follow the same steps listed above to update your phone number or email address.
If your name has legally changed during the term of your notary commission, you must within thirty days:
Note:
Legal disclaimer: The information provided on this page is for general informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal advice. We do not claim to be attorneys and we do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. You should always seek the advice of a licensed attorney for any legal matters. It is your responsibility to know the appropriate notary laws governing your state. In no event shall the American Association of Notaries, its employees, or contractors be liable to you for any claims, penalties, losses, damages, or expenses, howsoever arising, including, and without limitation, direct or indirect loss, or consequential loss, out of or in connection with the use of the information contained on any of the American Association of Notaries website pages. Notaries are advised to seek the advice of their state’s notary authorities or attorneys if they have legal questions.
Notary bonds and errors and omissions insurance policies provided by this insurance agency, American Association of Notaries, Inc., are underwritten by Western Surety Company, Universal Surety of America, or Surety Bonding Company of America, which are subsidiaries of CNA Surety.