In order to become a notary in the state of Georgia, you must first complete an application and submit it to the Secretary of State’s office.
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Qualifications
To become a notary in the state of Georgia, you must be at least 18 years old, a resident of Georgia, and have no felony convictions. You must also complete a notary education course and pass an exam. After you have met all of the qualifications, you can then apply for a notary commission.
Be at least 18 years old
You must be at least 18 years old to become a notary in Georgia.
Be a resident of Georgia
You must be a resident of the state of Georgia to become a notary in Georgia.
Be able to read and write
In order to become a notary in Georgia, you must be able to read and write. You must also be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the state of Georgia.
Be of good moral character
In order to become a notary in Georgia, you must:
-Be at least 18 years old
-Be a legal resident of Georgia or a resident of an adjoining state with a place of business in Georgia
-Be able to read and write English
-Have no felony convictions
-Not have been convicted of certain misdemeanors
-Complete a 6-hour notary education course
-Submit a notary application to the county probate court
-Pass a written examination
-Take an oath of office
-Submit the required bond and fee
Application Process
To become a notary in the state of Georgia, you must first submit an application to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office. The application must be notarized and include a $25 application fee. You will also need to take an oath of office and provide a bond of $7,500.
Submit an application to the county clerk’s office
You must submit an application to the county clerk’s office in the county where you reside or maintain a principal place of business. The application must be notarized and must include:
-Your social security number;
-Your qualifications for appointment;
-Your consent to having a criminal history background check conducted; and
-The filing fee of $25.
Take and pass the notary public examination
To become a notary public in Georgia, you must:
1. Be at least 18 years old.
2. Be a legal resident of Georgia or employed in Georgia by a company or agency that conducts business in Georgia.
3. Take and pass the notary public examination given by the Secretary of State’s office. The passing score is 70%. You will have two hours to complete the examination, which consists of 50 multiple-choice questions about general notary knowledge and 15 multiple-choice questions specific to Georgia law.
Purchase a surety bond
All Notaries public in Georgia must purchase a $5,000 Notary public surety bond before applying for a commission with the Secretary of State’s office. The surety bond is to insure that the Notary will faithfully perform all duties of office and will not misuse funds entrusted to the Notary’s care in the performance of official duties.
Register with the Secretary of State’s office
If you want to become a notary public in Georgia, you must first register with the Secretary of State’s office. The registration process is simple and only takes a few minutes. You will need to provide your name, address, and contact information. You will also need to pay a registration fee. Once you have registered, you will be given a notary number that you can use to identify yourself as a notary public.
Duties and Responsibilities
A notary public is an official of the state who has been appointed by the Secretary of State to serve the public as an impartial witness in taking acknowledgments, administering oaths, and performing other official acts specified by law. In addition to these specified acts, a notary public may also perform other duties as may be incident to the office and not specifically prohibited by law.
Take acknowledgments
In order to take acknowledgments, you must be commissioned by the Secretary of State’s office. The first step is to complete an application, which can be found on the Secretary of State’s website. You will also need to have your fingerprints taken and submit a $50 processing fee. If you are approved, you will be commissioned as a notary public for four years.
As a notary public, you will have the authority to take acknowledgments of documents. This means that you will witness the signing of a document and administer an oath or affirmation to the signer affirming that they understand the document and are signing it willingly. You will then sign and date the document yourself as evidence that you witnessed the signing.
Take depositions
A notary public in Georgia is an individual commissioned by the Secretary of State to serve the public as an impartial witness in taking depositions, acknowledging documents, administering oaths, and performing certain other acts.
A notary public may not:
-Charge more than $10 for any single act that the notary is authorized to perform;
-Make a profit from selling rubber stamps or other supplies needed to perform a notary service; or
-Type or print in any manner any certificate prescribed by law for use by a notary, unless such typing or printing is necessary to make the completed certificate legible.
Administer oaths and affirmations
One of the duties of a notary public is to administer oaths and affirmations. An oath is a spoken declaration made under oath, which means that you are swearing to the truth of the statements made in the oath. An affirmation is very similar to an oath, but it does not involve swearing to a higher power. Instead, you simply state that you affirm that the statements made are true. In both cases, you are legally declaring that the statements in question are accurate.
Witness or certify the signing of certain documents
One of the main duties of a notary is to witness or certify the signing of certain documents. In order to do this, the notary must observe the signer as they affix their signature to the document in question. The notary must then also sign and seal the document as evidence that they have witnessed the signing.
Perform other duties as required by law
A notary public in Georgia is an individual commissioned by the state to serve the public as an impartial witness in the taking of acknowledgments, protest of instruments, and administer oaths. As a notary public, you will be accountable for your actions while performing your duties. You must be at least 18 years old and a resident of Georgia to apply for a notary commission.
Complete an application. The application must be notarized and accompanied by a $36 filing fee.
Submit your completed application, filing fee, and any other required documents to the Probate Court in the county where you reside.
Take the Oath of Office and post a $5,000 Notary Public Bond with the Probate Court. The bond MUST be issued by a surety company licensed to do business in Georgia. The bond must remain in effect for the entire four-year term of office and insure you against any damages that may arise out of any wrongful acts committed by you while acting as a notary public.
