A Notary's duty is to screen the signers of important documents for their true identity, their willingness to sign without duress or intimidation, and their awareness of the contents of the document or transaction. Some notarizations also require the Notary to put the signer under an oath, declaring under penalty of perjury that the information contained in a document is true and correct. Property deeds, wills and powers of attorney are examples of documents that commonly require a Notary.

Generally, a Notary will ask to see a current ID that has a photo, physical description and signature. Acceptable IDs usually include a driver's license or passport.

• State-issued driver's license

• State-issued identification card

• U.S. passport issued by the U.S. Department of State

• U.S. military ID

• State, county and local government IDs

• Permanent resident card, or "green card," issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services*

• Foreign passport*

• Driver's license officially issued in Mexico or Canada*

• ID deemed acceptable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security*

Identifying signers is the Notary's number one duty. If a Notary can't identify a signer, the notarization can't take place. So what do you do if the signer lacks a driver's license or other forms of satisfactory ID? One option permitted is to have one or more credible witnesses who can vouch for the signer's identity. Generally speaking, a person that will be legally witnessing you signing a document must not be related to you, and they cannot benefit in any way from the document's provisions. If you need us to provide witnesses, we can do so for an additional cost. Please indicate that you need witnesses while completing the Appointment Request Form on this site, or during your call to our office.

A credible identifying witness is an individual who knows and can verify the identity of a signer. The witness appears at the time of the notarization and takes an oath or affirmation before the Notary that the signer is who they claim to be but lacks other forms of ID. Essentially, a credible identifying witness serves as a human ID card for the signer.

For a document to be notarized, it must contain: (1) language committing the signer in some way; (2) an original signature from the document signer; and (3) notarial certificate language, which can appear in the document itself or in an attachment.

Undated documents can be notarized. If the document has a space for a date, it should either be filled in or marked through. If the document does not have a space for a date, the signer may date it next to his or her signature or mark.

A document can be notarized when the signer is hospitalized or in a care-home facility. However, the notary will make every effort to ensure that the signer is not incapacitated and that the signer understands what they are signing.

Faxes and photocopies can be notarized only when the document bears an original signature.

A Georgia notary cannot certify a copy of a birth, marriage or death certificate. If you need a certified copy of any of these certificates, you should contact the State Office of Vital Records or the County Clerk’s office in the county where the certificate was issued. For foreign certificates such as Consular Reports from Abroad, you will need to contact the consulate of the country in which the person was born, married or died. Lastly, notary publics cannot notarize federally-issued documents. Examples of such documents are FBI Criminal History Reports, Certificates to Foreign Government, Patent Trademarks and other documents.

A Georgia notary cannot certify a copy of a birth, marriage or death certificate. If you need a certified copy of any of these certificates, you should contact the State Office of Vital Records or the County Clerk’s office in the county where the certificate was issued. For foreign certificates such as Consular Reports from Abroad, you will need to contact the consulate of the country in which the person was born, married or died. Lastly, notary publics cannot notarize federally-issued documents. Examples of such documents are FBI Criminal History Reports, Certificates to Foreign Government, Patent Trademarks and other documents.