Notary Services

Our licensed professional notary public services are here to make life easier.

Why do documents need to be notarized?

A notary public acts as an impartial third-party witness to not only the signature of a document, but also that all parties who signed a document did so willingly and under their own free will.

Examples  of documents that may require notarization

• Wills
• Trusts
• Deeds
• Contracts
• Affidavits

Steps To Getting Your Documents Notarized

• First, please contact us to make an appointment.
• Second, note the following requirements: You must sign in front of the notary public. You must present a valid ID. You must bring the entire document not just the signature page to be notarized.
• A notary must ensure the document is dated the same day as the notarizing or earlier, but never later.
• These are adequate forms of ID to bring:
  • A Georgia driver’s license or non-driver’s identity card
  • A foreign passport stamped by the US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services
  • A US Passport
• A driver’s license or non-driver’s identity card issued by a territory of the  US, another state, Canada or Mexico.
• A Permanent Resident Card or “green card” A military card
• If you do not have these forms of ID, other acceptable IDs must have these 4 elements:
  • The card or document is issued by a government agency.
  • It has a number assigned by that agency.
  • It has a picture of the holder.
  • It has the signature of the holder.

Social security cards, birth certificates, check cashing cards, credit cards, immigration cards, are not suitable for identification.  If a signer does not have a photo ID, then he/she will need 2 people present who will swear to his/her identity in order to be certified. The oaths of the affirming witnesses are satisfactory evidence for certification.

Which Documents Can Be Notarized

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) a notarial certificate, 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 he/she is signing.

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

What Documents Cannot Be Notarized

A Georgia notary cannot certify a copy of a birth or death certificate. If you need a certified copy for someone who was born in the U.S., you should contact the State Office of Vital Records or the County Clerk’s office in the county where the person was born. For foreign birth certificates, you will need to contact the consulate of the country in which the person was born.

A Georgia notary public cannot prepare or file another person’s immigration papers unless he/she is an attorney or an “accredited representative” approved by the U.S. Department of Justice.  Although some clerical work may be completed by non-attorneys, the law notes that an attorney would be best equipped to prepare immigration documents.

Notary publics cannot notarize state or federally-issued documents.

License

Most state, county, and local governments require companies to have the right licenses in place before they open their doors. There are more than 150,000 filing jurisdictions across the country, all with their own requirements. Depending on your particular industry and where you operate, any number of licenses may apply to your business.

Examples of commonly required licenses include:

• General business licenses
• State-issued occupational licenses
• Liquor licenses
• Lottery licenses
• Reseller’s licenses

Failure to obtain and renew the correct business licenses can result in fines, notices, and forced closure of your business.

Understandably, many business owners find identifying and applying for the right business licenses and permits to be a time-consuming, complicated, and even an overwhelming process.