Great Seal Certification

Great Seal Certification
Authentication of Public Documents for Foreign Use: Non-Hague Countries

GREAT SEAL CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES
Great Seal Certifications can be obtained via mail and in our office on a walk-in basis between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm. For same day service, we ask that the request be in the office no later than 4:30 pm.

The fee for a Great Seal Certification is $10.00 per document. Acceptable forms of payment are Checks (drawn on a U.S. Bank) or Money Orders. Payments should be made payable to the Secretary of State. We do not accept second party checks, cash, or credit payments.

To obtain a Great Seal Certification by mail, please carefully follow the instructions below to ensure our staff will be able to process your request without delay.

1. Enclose a cover letter stating the name of the country in which the document(s) will be used. The country name is needed in order to authenticate the document correctly. Please include a telephone number where you can be reached during normal business hours.
2. Enclose the required fee. (see above)
3. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of the documents. If you wish the documents to be returned by a courier service, you must enclose a pre-paid air bill with your order; no collect or cash on delivery (COD) mail or air bills can be sent from this office.

4. For walk-in or mailing service please use the following address:

Secretary of State
Elections Division - Authentication
2 Martin L. King Jr. Dr. SE
Suite 802 West Tower
Atlanta, GA 30334

FAQ's

How do I know when I can use the Great Seal Authentication?

The Georgia Secretary of State only provides the Great Seal Authentication of public official's signatures on documents used in Non-Hague countries.

The Georgia Superior Court Clerk's Cooperative Authority provides the Apostille Certification of public official's signatures on documents used in Hague countries.

To determine which authentication you need, please click here to view a list of Hague countries. If the country your documents are going to is on this list, please contact the Georgia Superior Court Clerk's Cooperative Authority at 404-327-9058 to obtain the Apostille Certification. If your country is not on this list, please proceed with the instructions below to obtain the Great Seal Authentication.

How do I get started after creating or obtaining my document for authentication?

The document must be notarized by a Georgia notary. The notary must date, sign and seal the document; all signatures and seals must be original. You must then obtain a Notary Certification from the Clerk of Superior Court in the county in which the notary is commissioned.

How do I obtain the Notary Certification?

1. The notarized document must be taken to the Clerk of Superior Court in which the notary is commissioned for a Notary Certification. For example, if your notary is commissioned in Rockdale County, you must go to the Rockdale County Clerk of Superior Court to obtain the Notary Certification.
2. The signature from the county clerk's office must be an original pen in hand signature and the certification must be attached to each document prior to authentication.
3. All dates must follow in chronological order on the notary, clerk of court and the Secretary of State certification. (document 7/8/09,notary 7/8/09 Clerk 7/10/09 SOS 7/18/09)

How do I obtain a Birth, Death, or Marriage Certificate for Authentication?

Our office can only authenticate birth, death, and marriage certificates issued in the state of Georgia; we cannot authenticate out-of-state documents or documents from a county health department. All signatures must be an original pen in hand signature of the person certifying each document.
1. To obtain a Georgia birth certificate, death certificate, marriage license and/or a single status verification letter, please contact the Georgia Department of Community Health, Vital Record Services at 404-679-4701. You may also visit their website at http://health.state.ga.us/programs/vitalrecords/index.asp. All signatures must be an original pen in hand signature of the person certifying each document.
2. Marriage certificates can also be obtained from the County Probate Court where the marriage was recorded. For authentication, none of these documents (birth certificates, marriage licenses, or death certificates) need to be notarized.
3. Birth Certificates issued by a county Probate Court should have an original pen in hand signature but does not have to be notarized for authentication. Birth Certificates can also be obtained from the County Probate Court.

How do I obtain a Divorce Decree for Authentication?

A Divorce Decree must be a certified copy from the Superior Court where the divorce is recorded and must have an original pen in hand signature. Certified documents obtained from the court and signed by a Clerk and/or Deputy Clerk of court, do not need to be notarized for authentication.

How do I obtain a Certificate of Free Sale for Authentication?

Certificates of Free Sale originated in the State of Georgia are issued through the Georgia Agricultural Department and must have an original pen in hand signature. For further information, please contact their office at (404) 656-3645 or visit their website at http://agr.georgia.gov.

How do I obtain a Transcript for Authentication?

To obtain a Great Seal Authentication for university and college transcripts and diplomas, the document(s) must first be certified by the registrar with an original pen and hand signature or must be notarized in Georgia and certified by the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the notary is commissioned. Elementary through High School records must be signed by a member of the School Administrative Staff, then notarized and certified by the Clerk of Court in the county where the notary is commissioned.

How do I obtain an Article of Incorporation for Authentication?

In order to obtain the Great Seal Authentication, documents must be obtained from the Corporations Division; we cannot authenticate documents printed from the website.

1. Certificate of Good Standing, Articles of Incorporation, Corporate Amendments and Resolutions will bear the signature of the Secretary of State; no notarization is needed for authentication. To obtain this document, please contact the Office of Secretary of State, Corporations Division at 404-656-2817.

In order to obtain the Great Seal Authentication for documents pertaining to international business, the document(s) must be notarized and the notary certified by the Clerk of Court in the county of the notary commissioned.

How do I contact someone if I have other questions or would like to set up an appointment?

Please call 404-657-5374.

Apostille (for Hague countries)

If your document(s) are going to a country that is a member of the Hague Convention, please contact the Georgia Superior Court Clerk’s Authority at (404) 327-6023 to find out the requirements for obtaining an apostille certification.