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What to bring to your notary appointment

A few minutes of prep saves you a second trip. Here is what to have ready, what to leave alone until we arrive, and what each kind of document needs in Georgia.

The short list Your ID Before we arrive By document Hospital & facility What we can't do

The short list

This covers almost every appointment. The details are further down.

Why this matters: if we arrive and the signing can't go forward (an expired, missing, or invalid ID, a signer who isn't there, or blanks left in the document), the travel fee still applies. A quick check of this list keeps that from happening.

Your ID

Before notarizing anything, Georgia law has us confirm each signer's identity, and we do that with a government-issued photo ID (O.C.G.A. § 45-17-8). No ID means no notarization, so check this first.

These work

  • Driver's license
  • State ID card
  • Passport
  • Military ID
  • Veterans Health Identification Card

These don't

  • An expired ID
  • A photo or photocopy of an ID
  • Social Security card
  • Birth certificate
  • Credit or debit card

The name on your ID should match the name on your document. If it doesn't, for example after a marriage or a name change, tell us when you book so it can be sorted out before the visit.

If a signer's ID is missing or expired, tell us before you book so nobody pays for a visit that can't be completed.

Before we arrive

Six things to do ahead of time.

  1. Fill in everything except the signature. We can't notarize a document with blank spaces, and we can't tell you what belongs in them. If a line doesn't apply to you, ask whoever gave you the document how they want it handled.
  2. Don't sign yet. Leave every signature, and the date beside it, empty until we are with you.
  3. Find the notary section. Most documents already have notary wording near the signature lines. If yours doesn't, ask the person or office requesting it which kind of notarization they want. We can't make that choice for you, since that would be legal advice.
  4. Line up your witnesses. Some documents need witnesses in addition to the notary. Check the signature page for witness lines and see the document guide below.
  5. Tell us what it is when you book. The document type, how many people are signing, and the address. A photo of the first page helps us confirm what kind of document it is before we drive out.
  6. Have payment ready. A $20 deposit is charged to your card at booking and applied toward your total. The remaining balance can be paid by cash, Zelle, Cash App, or card at the appointment. See pricing.

What your document needs

General information about Georgia signing requirements for the documents we see most. Your own document may ask for more than this. If you aren't sure what yours needs, ask whoever prepared it, the office receiving it, or an attorney.

Financial power of attorney

In Georgia, a financial power of attorney is signed in front of a notary and one witness. (O.C.G.A. § 10-6B-5)

  • The principal, the person granting the power, in person with ID. They are the one signing.
  • One witness who is not named as an agent in the document. The notary can't double as that witness, so bring someone or ask us to provide one when you book.
  • The agent, the person receiving the authority, only needs to be there if your form has a place for them to sign.
  • The principal has to understand what they are signing and be signing because they want to.
Advance directive for health care

Georgia's advance directive for health care calls for two witnesses and does not have to be notarized. If this is the only document you have, you may not need a notary at all. (O.C.G.A. § 31-32-5)

  • Two witnesses, each at least 18 and of sound mind.
  • A witness cannot be:
    • the person chosen as the health care agent or a back-up agent,
    • anyone who will knowingly inherit from the signer or otherwise knowingly gain a financial benefit from the signer's death, or
    • anyone directly involved in the signer's health care.
  • No more than one of the two witnesses can be an employee, agent, or medical staff member of the health care facility where the signer is receiving care.
  • Signing one in the same visit as a power of attorney? Tell us when you book if you need a witness provided.
Deeds and real estate documents

A Georgia deed is signed in front of a notary and one additional witness. (O.C.G.A. § 44-5-30)

  • Every person signing the deed, in person with ID.
  • One additional witness. The notary counts as one of the two, and the same person can't be both.
  • The finished deed, with the names and the property's legal description already filled in. We can't prepare a deed, fill one in, or tell you which kind to use.
  • Expect a journal entry. When you sign a deed, mortgage, or lien as one of the parties, Georgia law has us record your name, address, phone number, and ID details in our notary journal, along with your signature. (O.C.G.A. § 45-17-8)
  • Notarizing a deed does not record it. Recording is a separate step with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the property is located.
Affidavits and sworn statements

An affidavit is a statement you swear to. That changes one thing about the appointment: you take an oath.

  • We will ask you to swear or affirm, out loud, that what the document says is true. Then you sign in front of us.
  • Read the whole thing before we arrive. You are swearing to the contents, so be sure every statement is accurate.
  • Bring the completed, unsigned affidavit and your ID.
Vehicle titles and bills of sale

Not every vehicle form needs a notary, so check before you book.

  • Look on the form for a place for a notary's signature and seal. Not sure? Text us a photo and we will tell you whether it has one.
  • Everyone who signs in the notary section has to be there in person with ID. For a sale, that can mean both the buyer and the seller, and we can meet both parties at the sale.
  • Bring the original title or form, and don't sign or date it until we arrive.
Minor travel and parental consent forms
  • Every parent or guardian whose signature is being notarized has to be there in person with ID.
  • The child does not need to be there or have ID, since the child isn't signing.
  • If an airline, school, or agency gave you specific wording or a specific form, bring exactly what they gave you.
Form I-9 employment verification

This one is not a notarization. We act as your employer's authorized representative and complete Section 2 of the form, so no notary seal is involved.

  • Check with your employer first. They decide who can act as their representative, and they may send their own instructions.
  • Bring the Form I-9 and anything your employer sent with it.
  • Bring your original, unexpired documents from the Form I-9 Lists of Acceptable Documents: one from List A, or one from List B plus one from List C. Which ones you present is your choice.
  • Photocopies and phone pictures won't work. A certified copy of a birth certificate is the one exception.
  • You have to be there in person, since the documents are reviewed with you present.
Documents going overseas (apostille)
  • Bring the original document.
  • Tell us which country it is going to when you book. That decides which certification you need.
  • How it works and what it costs is in the apostille section on our home page.

Hospital, nursing home, and facility signings

Bedside signings are some of our most common calls. A few things have to be true for one to go forward.

What we can't do

A notary's job is narrow on purpose. Better to know now than at the door.

What happens when we get there

Most appointments take 10 to 20 minutes.

  1. We look over the document. We are checking that it is complete and finding the notary section, not reading it to advise you.
  2. We check ID for each signer.
  3. We confirm you are ready to sign. You know what the document is, and you are signing because you want to. For sworn statements, we give you an oath.
  4. You sign in front of us. Your witnesses sign too, if the document has them.
  5. We complete the notary certificate. We sign it, date it, and apply our seal.
  6. We log it and you pay the balance. Then you're done.

Ready when you are

Type your address to see your exact price, then pick your own time. We confirm every request personally.

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Not sure about something on this page? Call or text (404) 857-2810. A photo of your document helps.