Notaries Public & Document Certification

Thank you for your interest regarding service as a Notary Public in the State of Georgia. For many years, the Office of Secretary of State administered Georgia's Notary Public laws, O.C.G.A. 45-17-1 et seq.  However, the Office of Secretary of State has transferred responsibility for most of the statewide obligations related to Notaries Public, including the issuance of the international certificate of authentication (Apostille), to the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority.

  • Notaries now receive their commissions from the Clerk of Superior Court of the county where the Notary resides; and
  • The international certification, now issued by the Clerks' Authority, is available under provisions of the "Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents." The Apostille is affixed to a document that is witnessed by a Notary Public or certified by a state or county officer, and requires authentication for use in a country that is a member of the Hague Convention. Information regarding countries that are members of the Hague Convention may be obtained from the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority or the U.S. Department of State’s Authentications Office.

The Office of Secretary of State retains the responsibility for the issuance of only one certificate of authentication - the Great Seal, which may be obtained from our Elections Division. By law, the Secretary of State is the official custodian of the Great Seal, which is attached to official papers by executive order of the Governor.

Please note that questions regarding application of laws to a particular situation should be addressed to private legal counsel.

For further information on becoming a notary or authentication of a document, please contact:

Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority
1875 Century Boulevard
Suite 100
Atlanta, Georgia 30345
Phone: (404) 327-6023

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Office of Secretary of State
Elections Division
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE
Suite 802 - Floyd West Tower
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Phone: (404) 656-2871
Fax: (404) 651-9531