Great Seal Authentication - Administrative Services
Authentication Services
The Office of the Georgia Secretary of State provides authentication services for public documents issued in Georgia that are intended for foreign use in Non-Hague Convention countries. These documents may include birth and marriage certificates, statements of marital status, articles of incorporation, corporate bylaws, certificates of merger, powers of attorney, diplomas and degrees, school transcripts (verified by the school registrar), property deeds, and Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) background checks.
This office does not handle Apostille certifications. Please Contact the Georgia Superior Court Clerk’s Authority at (404) 327-6023 to find out the requirements for obtaining an Apostille certification - Hague Apostille Country List (gsccca.org).
Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority
1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 100
Atlanta, Georgia 30345
Phone: (404) 327-6023
Documents that are intended for countries not participating in the Hague Convention require the Great Seal, which is administered by the Secretary of State’s Elections Division.
Please review the list of countries operating as members of the Hague Convention to ensure you are bringing your documents to the correct office.
How to Obtain a Great Seal Certification
A fee of $10 is required for each document. In-person payments may be made by money order, check, or credit/debit card. Please note that cash is not accepted.
Documents may be submitted in person at our Atlanta office or sent by mail through the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, or UPS.
Requirements for Documents Sent by Mail to Our Office:
When sending documents by mail to our office, please ensure that you include the following:
- Payment:
- Payment must be made by check or money order.
- Cover Letter:
- Include a cover letter clearly stating the name of the country where the document(s) will be used. This information is required to
properly authenticate your document(s).
- Include a cover letter clearly stating the name of the country where the document(s) will be used. This information is required to
- Contact Information:
- Provide your name, phone number, and/or email address where you can be reached during normal business hours.
- Return Envelope:
- Include a self-addressed, prepaid or stamped envelope that is at least 9.5" x 12" in size for the return of your documents.
- If you prefer your documents returned by courier, you must enclose a prepaid air bill.
- Please note: We cannot send documents using collect on delivery (COD) or cash-on-delivery services.
Mailing Address:
Office of Secretary of State
Elections Division - Authentications
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, SE
Suite 802 - Floyd West Tower
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Email: [email protected]
Walk-in tips
Office hours are Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The office does not take appointments.
PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR CURRENT TIMELINE FOR GREAT SEALS SERVICES IS 3 TO 5 BUSINESS DAYS.
We are the same twin tower building as the Georgia State MARTA Station. However, unless you have a MARTA pass, you cannot enter through the station. There is a roofed walkway on Martin Luther King Jr Drive that leads to the entrance of our building from the street.
Please note that anyone entering the Floyd Twin Towers Building will be required to present identification at the security post, such as a valid driver’s license.
Office of Secretary of State
Elections Division - Authentications
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE
Suite 802 - Floyd West Tower
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
By MARTA
Georgia State Station, upstairs to exit the station and then down the escalator and to the right for the West Tower security desk.
By Car
Park at the Pete Hackney parking deck
- Address: 162 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, SE, Atlanta
- Fee: $10
- Directions: follow the signs for the bridge to the Floyd Twin Towers, cross the lobby and go to the West Tower security desk
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
- For a notary certification the notarized document must be taken to the clerk of superior court in which the notary is commissioned. 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.
- 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.
- All dates must follow in chronological order on the notary, clerk of court and the Secretary of State certification. (For example: document 7/8/21, notary 7/8/21, clerk 7/10/21, Secretary of State 7/18/21)
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 documents must have an original pen-in-hand signature of the person certifying them.
- 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://dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords . All documents must have an original pen-in-hand signature of the person certifying them.
- Marriage certificates, birth certificates, or death certificates can also be obtained from the county probate court where the event occurred. Each document issued by a county probate court should have an original pen-in-hand signature but does not have to be notarized 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.
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. If the signature is original pen-in-hand, it does not need to be notarized or notary certified.
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-in-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.
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. To be authenticated outright, the document will need a blue ink, raised seal signature of the Secretary of State. If the document is printed from the Corporations Division’s website, the document will need to be notarized by any Georgia notary along with having their stamp or signature verified by the clerk of superior court of the notary is registered in.
In order to obtain the Great Seal authentication for other documents pertaining to international business, such as contracts, they must be notarized and the notary certified by the clerk of court in the county where the notary was commissioned.