Notary Public in Georgia

Introduction

The following is a description of a Notary Public in Georgia:

A Notary Public is a person authorized to perform certain legal formalities, especially to draw up or certify contracts, deeds, and other documents for use in other jurisdictions.

A Notary Public is a person authorized to perform certain legal formalities, especially to draw up or certify contracts, deeds, and other documents for use in other jurisdictions.

In most countries the term notary public is synonymous with "notary" and it's commonly used in both speech and writing. However, it has no equivalent meaning in civil law systems as those countries do not have this historical feature of common law called "notarial system".

Notaries public are appointed by the Secretary of State.

To become a notary public in Georgia, you must:

• Be a resident of Georgia.

• Be at least 18 years old.

• Be a U.S. citizen with no felony convictions on your record (unless pardoned).

• Have had your identity verified by the Secretary of State or other designated officials in the county where you reside and meet one of the following requirements:

• Attain a score of 650 or higher on each part of the exam taken from an approved testing service such as Pearson VUE; or

• Complete an educational course on notarial law through one of these approved providers:

a) American Institute Notaries (AIN);

b) National Notary Association (NNA);

Each notary public applicant must be a Georgia resident and have no felony convictions.

The notary public applicant must be a Georgia resident, at least 18 years of age and must have no felony convictions. In addition, the notary public applicant must be a citizen of the State of Georgia.

All applicants for appointment as a Notary Public in this state shall make application to the Secretary of State (or his designee), complete with all required information and documents required by § 50-13-1 et seq., O.C.G.A., which are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein; provided that any person who is currently serving as Deputy Clerk or Assistant Clerk in any capacity within any county court system may submit an original oath with certification from the chief judge or clerk certifying their service as such without having first obtained an appointment from the Secretary of State (or his designee).

A notary public's jurisdiction extends throughout the state.

A notary public's jurisdiction extends throughout the state. This means that all notaries public in California may perform their duties anywhere in the state, whether or not they are physically present at the location where the act is performed. Thus, if you are located in Los Angeles and need to have a document certified by a notary public who lives on the other side of the San Francisco Bay Area, it's perfectly legal for you to request this service from your local secretary of state branch office (assuming that branch office has its own power over appointment).

The term of office of a notary public is four years from the date of appointment.

A notary public is an officer authorized to take acknowledgements of deeds, mortgages and other conveyances; administer oaths and affirmations; take depositions to be used in courts of justice; protest bills of exchange or promissory notes when there appears on the face thereof some irregularity or defect not apparent from the endorsement thereon; and certify true copies of any paper writing which he may have executed for any person.

The term of office for a notary public is four years from date of appointment by the Secretary of State.

A person who desires to become a Notary Public must file an application with The Secretary Of State's Office along with two passport size photographs and one letter from current employer verifying employment status.

A notary public may execute an official seal as required by law on documents he or she has executed.

If a notary public is required to affix an official seal, he or she may do so in the presence of the person who signs the document. If such an individual is physically incapacitated and unable to be present when the seal is affixed, another witness must be present and attest to this fact.

In addition to using a stamp-type device, some states permit their notaries public to use hand stamps which make impressions on documents. These impressions are made by impressing ink or paint into paper or parchment documents that have been signed by people seeking them due to being important legal documents. It may also include embossing seals into paper or parchment documents that have been signed by people seeking them due to being important legal documentation for proof purposes later down road when needed in court cases involving fraudulent allegations against one another as well as other types of disagreements between two parties over business contracts that need resolving quickly before any further damage occurs financially at stake here."

A notary public may charge a fee for each signature acknowledged. However, if you are receiving more than $1,000 in cash for your signature, then you must sign in the presence of two witnesses who are signing as well.

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An appointment as a notary public is issued for the purpose of allowing the notary to administer oaths and affirmations and to take acknowledgments of deeds, mortgages and other conveyances.

• The notary public is a public official who is authorized to perform certain legal formalities.

• The notary public is authorized to draw up or certify contracts, deeds, and other documents.

• The notary public is authorized to administer oaths and affirmations.

Conclusion

Notary Publics have been around for a long time, but they're still needed today. They help take the guesswork out of transactions and make sure that everything goes smoothly.

 A Notary Public Notarizing a Document 

A notary is more than just some fancy rubber stamp. Getting a document notarized means getting it verified for its authenticity and purpose.
  Many times, notarizing a document corresponds to a life-changing moment for someone. You may need the approval of a notary public for your next mortgage. A daughter in California may need the power of attorney to get funds for an ailing parent. In essence, a notarized document protects the signer and the purpose of the document.

 Importance of Document Notarization  
  So, if you are still thinking; why is document notarization important? Below are some reasons why up to 1.25 billion documents are notarized yearly in the United States.

Deter Fraud
  In an era where fraud and forgery are on the rise, a trustworthy notary is required to verify the authenticity of crucial documents. A notary details such as a seal, stamp, or signature add an extra layer of protection to business transactions

Self Authenticating
  According to the law of evidence, a notarized document is self-authenticating. It is the same as swearing under oath in a court of law. Meaning, a notary can stand in place of a witness in court. This saves time and money.

Legal Protection
The possession of notarized documents helps prevent litigation and contract dispute.

Establish Credibility
  Some documents are not legally binding until they are notarized. Deed of trust is one kind of document that doesn't escape notarization. In mortgaging, for instance, the agreement between the lender and the borrower needs an authorized third party to serve as a trustee. That's where the notary public comes to play.
  Need more clarification about notaries? Or not sure you need it? Contact Jamesees Notary Services today.

How to Select The Best Notary to Work With 

    As you can see today, there are number of dealings particularly to our lives that require the services of a notary public. Be it an insurance companies, mortgage companies or even schools, the service of notaries are typically just in high demand. You'll need them in affidavit of incapacity, contracts, mortgage documents et cetera.

 However selecting a notary to work with is a different story on its own. As an employee, any inadvertently mistake by your notary can lead to serious financial and legal penalties. How is that? You surely would not like to be jointly held for any misconduct by your notary. What follow are how you can select the best notary to work with. Do yourself some favor by reading through.

1. Credentials

 As of any other professional jobs, the attributes you expect to find in a candidate who is to be hired for a particular position is in their credentials. It is from there you'll know if such notary is a perfect match for your need. A notary must be knowledgeable of the very rudiment necessary to execute any giving tasks.

 Many sensitive legal matters would be tackled by your notary which is why the best person to be hired for such task must be a professionally trained individual who is qualified and has the certificates indicating qualifications from a recognised law school.

2. Service Cost

 There is no need to rush, don't hire the first notary you meet on instance. Some notary charge their clients a lot of money. Sample out like 3 to 5 notaries and decide on who to hire based on how less-cost their service is.

 Though, each state has a maximum value that a notary can legally charge on every render service and this is readily available on the Secretary of State's website. However, several factors like logistics can raise or lower the cost service of a notary, much to why you must ask about cost of their service beforehand.

3. Professional Association and Memberships

 Notary public membership are being manage by many national, state and local professional associations. These they are doing in other ensure that every of their respective members meet certain set of standards for professional and ethical development.

 So, before you choose a notary, it is must you select the one that belong to that professional body. This is very vital if you want an error-less service between you the employee and your hired notary.

4. Mobility

 Those days were when you'll have to queue in a line for the notary services after working several kilometres. Today, you could be resting at your home and a mobile notary would be at anywhere you need their service at any point in time.

 This will reduces the time and money often spent to travel to their location. Mobility is thus a very important factor to consider when selecting a notary.

5. Accessibility

 Can the one whom you want to hire leave his comfort zone to make himself available to meet your needs? Can he be reached via his phone number in case he cannot meet with you in person? Knowing how accessible he is before hiring him can safe you off later hurdles.

Conclusion

 Selecting the best notary to work with might be kind of a difficult task. However, provided that you follow the above- highlighted steps, you will surely end up interacting with a best notary.

Apostille: What It Is and Why It's Important

  In 1961, a group of European countries recognized the need for a simplified method of document legalization across their borders. Member countries met in a scheduled convention called the Hague Convention. There, they agreed on the adoption of a document called "Apostille". This document will serve as a universal way of recognition by all member countries. 

What is an Apostille?

  Apostille is a French term that means certification. It is a form of specialized certification papers that are attached to documents to ascertain its authenticity and legitimacy for use and acceptance across countries of the Hague Convention. 

In the United States, Apostille is issued in all 50 states by the secretary of state.

Importance of Apostille

  Before the adoption of Apostille, the formality of authenticating foreign documents by international public authorities was burdensome and time intensive. The introduction of the Apostille abolished the requirement of legalization for foreign public (including notarized) documents. Ever since documents that are to be used in foreign member countries are certified by a jurisdictional authority from the country of origin. The delivery of this certificate (Apostille) along with a document in a participating country reduces all the formalities of legalization to a simple verification from the source.

Requirement for Apostille

  The Hauge Apostille Convention requires that all Apostilles be registered, dated, and numbered. A standard certificate carries the name of the country of origin, the name of the person signing the Apostille, and the capacity in which he/she is acting.

  For unsigned documents, a stamp or seal of the authority issuing certificate and the address of certification are necessary. Today, there are 117 members countries in the Hauge Apostille Convention including the United States.