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HOW TO BECOME A NOTARY PUBLIC
IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA
Effective March 21, 2011 price change
WHAT A NOTARY PUBLIC DOES
A notary public is an officer of the State of Georgia
who has the power and authority to:
Witness
or attest signatures or executions of deeds and other written instruments
Take
acknowledgments
Administer
oaths and affirmations
Witness
affidavits
Take
verifications
Make
certified copies of documents
QUALIFICATIONS
To be eligible to become a notary public of the
State of Georgia for Thomas County, you must:
Be at
least 18 years old
A
resident of Georgia
A
resident of Thomas County
A
resident of state bordering Georgia who carries on a business or profession in
Thomas County
Able to
read and write the English language
HOW TO APPLY FOR A NOTARY PUBLIC APPOINTMENT
To apply for appointment as a notary public:
You must
obtain and complete an application by the Clerk of Thomas County Superior
Court.
Click here to APPLY for the FIRST
TIME NOTARY COMMISSION
Click here to APPLY for the RENEWAL
NOTARY COMMISSION
The Clerk of Thomas Superior Court is David Hutchings, Jr. See below for
information about contacting or locating the Clerk’s office, or other questions
you may have about applying to become a notary public.
You are
required to sign and swear or affirm to the truthfulness of the information you
provide on the application.
In
addition to the information shown above, you are required to state on the
application form all criminal convictions you have had, including any plea of
nolo contendre, except minor traffic violations.
Endorsements
of two persons who are not your relatives, who are 18 years old and who reside
in Thomas County, stating that you are a person of integrity, good moral
character, and capable of performing notarial acts.
The
application (or renewal) fee for a notary public is $37.00. The Clerk of Thomas Superior
Court accepts cash, money orders, or personal checks from within the state of
Georgia.
COMMISSION
The Clerk
of Thomas Superior Court is required by law to review your application and
either grant or deny a commission.
The Clerk
of Thomas Superior Court may deny your application if you have been convicted
of any crimes or entered a nolo contendre plea to any crime other than a minor
traffic violation, or if you have ever had a notary commission revoked,
suspended or restricted.
The Clerk
will issue you a certificate of appointment at the time you are commissioned as
a notary public.
Upon
issuing a certificate of appointment, the Clerk notifies the Georgia Superior
Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority, a state agency responsible for maintaining
a statewide registry of notaries public, which will send you an official
identification card showing you are a notary and the term of your appointment.
TERM OF OFFICE
A notary public serves a term of office for four
years from the date of the commission
The
commission may be revoked at any time if a notary violates any notary public
law, performs any illegal notarial act, or is found to have submitted an
application or endorsement for a notarial commission containing substantial or
significant misstatement or omission of fact.
Renewal
of a commission may be done in person or by mail at the end of the term of
office.
SEAL OF OFFICE
For
authentication of notarial acts, a notary public is required by law to provide
a seal of office.
The seal shall
contain your name, the words “Notary Public,” “Georgia,” and “Thomas County”.
The seal
may either be an embossing device or a rubber stamp.
All
notarial acts must be documented by your notary seal.
FEES OF NOTARIES
The fees a notary may charge the public for
performing notarial acts are:
Administering
an oath--$2.00
Each
attendance on any person to make proof as a notary public--$2.00
It is not
lawful to charge more than $4.00 for each service performed. The $4.00 fee
includes a $2.00 fee for performing the notarial act and $2.00 for attendance
to make proof as a notary public and certifying the same.
A notary
public is not required to charge fees for notarial acts.
You must
inform the person requesting the notarial act in advance of the fees that will
be charged.
For more
information or questions concerning commissioning of notary publics, visit the
Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority’s site at
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David Hutchings, Jr. Designed
by Clark's Consulting Services |
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