Any notary who executes a notarial certificate containing a false statement known by the notary to be false or performs any action with the intent to deceive or defraud may be prosecuted for a criminal act as provided by law. The commission of any notary who performs an act when disqualified or prohibited is subject to revocation. When the notary is a party to the document or transaction for which the notarial act is required.Ī notary shall not execute a notarial certificate containing a statement known by the notary to be false nor perform any action with an intent to deceive or defraud.Ī notary shall not perform a notarial act without confirming the identity of the document signer, oath taker or affirmant based on personal knowledge or on satisfactory evidence. When the notary is a signer of the document which is to be notarized or

'Notarial certificate' means the notary's documentation of a notarial act.Ī notary shall be disqualified from performing a notarial act in the following situations which impugn and compromise the impartiality of the notary: 'Attesting' and 'attestation' are synonymous and mean the notarial act of witnessing or attesting a signature or execution of a deed or other written instrument, where such notarial act does not involve the taking of an acknowledgment, the administering of an oath or affirmation, the taking of a verification, or the certification of a copy. Perform such other acts as notaries are authorized to perform by the laws of the State of Georgia.Ī 'notarial act' means any act that a notary is authorized to perform and includes, without limitation, attestation, the taking of an acknowledgment, the administration of an oath or affirmation, the taking of a verification upon an oath or affirmation, and the certification of a copy. Make certified copies, provided that the document presented for copying is an original document and is neither a public record nor a publicly recorded document, certified copies of which are available from an official source other than a notary and provided that the document was photocopied under supervision of the notary and Take verifications upon oath or affirmation Witness affidavits upon oath or affirmation Witness or attest signature or execution of deeds and other written instruments Īdminister oaths and affirmations in all matters incidental to their duties as commercial officers and all other oaths and affirmations which are not by law required to be administered by a particular officer Notaries Public have authority anywhere within the State of Georgia to: A notary shall not make claims to have or imply he or she has powers, qualifications, rights or privileges that a notary does not possess by law. It is unlawful for any person to hold himself or herself out as a notary or exercise the powers of a notary without an effective notary commission. If you have questions concerning appointments or renewals, please contact your county's Clerk of Superior Court (click HERE for county contact information) or the GSCCCA Notary Division for assistance. By law (§45-17-2), all information contained in the application is open to public inspection.

See Notary Public Frequently Asked Questions.) Click HERE for the Georgia Notary Public Application Form for New Appointments or Reappointment. (Georgia has a neighboring state resident exception. Individuals desiring to become a notary should submit an application to the Clerk of Superior Court in their county of residence. Each commission is for a term of four years and may be renewed prior to the expiration of the notary's term of office. The Office of the Clerk of Superior Court approves and issues commissions of notary public. through the Georgia General Assembly website located at. Access the online version of the O.C.G.A. Georgia Notary Law is located in Title 45 Article 17 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.).

Notarized letter reside with person