Power & Duties Notary Publics have the authority within any county in the State of Georgia to:
• Witness or attest signature or execution of deeds and other written instruments.
• Take acknowledgments.
• Administer oaths and affirmations which are not by law required to be administered by a particular officer.
• Witness affidavits upon oath or affirmation.
• Take verifications upon oath or affirmation.
• Make certified copies, provided that the document presented for copying is an original document and is neither a public record nor a publicly recorded document certified copies of which are available from an official source other than a notary, and provided further that the document was photocopied under supervision of the notary.
• Such other acts as notaries are authorized to perform by the laws of the State of Georgia.
• A “notarial act” means any act that a notary is authorized to perform and included, attestations, the taking of an acknowledgement, the administration of an oath or affirmation, the taking of a verification upon oath or affirmation, and certification of a copy.
• “Attesting” and “attestation” are the notarial acts of witnessing or attesting a signature or execution of a deed or other written instrument, where such notarial act does not involve the taking of an acknowledgement, the administering of an oath or affirmation, the taking of a verification, or the certification of a copy.
• “Notarial certificate” is the notary’s documentation of a notarial act.