My Georgia Notary and Apostille

Per Apostille can range from 75.00 to 165.00.  The fee depends on the country, how quickly you need it returned to you and postage to have the document returned to you. This fee normally covers:

• the facilitation firms time, expertise, 
• review of your documents and the 
• physical delivery of your document to the state or federal agency processing your request.  
• The facilitator or agent does not provide the Apostille. State Authentication office does. 
• State fees vary and the federal fee is 20.00 per apostille. 

• Law Firms, Government Contractors, Banks, 
• Destination Wedding Planners/Specialist, Insurance (Total Loss/Salvage), 
• Healthcare (Nursing Homes/Long Term Care, Hospice), 
• Corporate Partnerships, Public Safety (Fire Department, Police Department, Emergency Medical Technicians, 911), 
• Residential/Commercial Real Estate, Estate Planning, 
• Divorce, Adoption, and Funeral Home Directors. 

But, if ANY document needs a notarization My Georgia Notary and Apostille is your reliable resource. 

• Mobile Notary Public
• Apostille Facilitation
• Document Legalization Facilitation
• Auto/Home Loan Signing
• I-9 Employment Verification
• Field Service Inspections
• Signature of Unofficial Witness
• Printing of your documents
• Law Firm Courier
• Executive Document Courier

An apostille certifies the document(s), so that it can be recognized in foreign countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty. The Secretary of State (SOS) of your state issues apostilles for NON-Federal documents, and the U.S. Department of State apostilles/authenticate the seal and signatures of officials on public documents such as birth certificates, court orders, or any other document issued by a federal agency or certified by an American or foreign consul.  

All seals and signatures must be originals.  A state-issued document with an apostille does not require additional certification by the U.S. Department of State or legalization by a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas to be recognized in a participating country.

No.  

The state or the United States Federal government provide the Apostille or the Authentication.  We act as your agent/liaison between you and those government agencies.  We do it for you so you don't have to worry about the process, traffic or long lines in those offices.

We submit your Apostille request via United States Postal mail and or an overnight courier. Please note - processing time with a courier can take 10-14 business days (personal experience), but you should also factor in staff reductions as of 10/1/2026.

We have a partner in Washington DC to assist.  There are several steps to making sure this process is handled smoothly and efficiently. And as a result, many individuals rely on companies like ours who have experience in certifying these documents to ensure the process is completed properly.  

Since we submit your Apostille request via United States Postal mail and or an overnight courier, the process with a courier can take 10-14 business days (factor in a. 

If you don't use a courier it will take 5-8 weeks to be processed. There are urgent or same day processing but you MUST show proof of the urgency if traveling within 2 weeks of your request - See the Department of State.

In order to process the Apostille request for an FBI Background check for any United States resident, the background check needs to be completed first and foremost (you will need to request and obtain a background check from the FBI; after this step has been completed you can submit the results to us and we will act on your behalf to obtain the Apostille.

A certification or authentication is a sealed certificate that confirms the authority of a public official, such as a notary public, recorder of deeds, or county clerk, to act in a particular capacity in connection with a document that he or she has signed. 

The authentication certificate will verify that the named individual and their position are a matter of record in the Secretary of State's Office. Certification is used for verifying an official, like a Notary Public.

Authentications are used for verifying recorders of deeds, circuit clerks, judges, county clerks and the State Registrar (i.e., birth/death certificate, marriage certificate and divorce a decree.)

Once a document is authenticated, it must be certified by the foreign jurisdiction to be valid there. This process, called legalization, usually occurs at the country's embassy or consulate, and can be considered the final step in the authentication process.

YES!

My Georgia Notary and Apostille is a trusted and reliable service provider dedicated to assisting individuals and businesses with their document translation needs. With our extensive experience and expertise in notarization and apostille services, we have expanded our offerings to include professional translation services.

At My Georgia Notary and Apostille, we understand the importance of accurate and precise translations. Our team of highly skilled linguists and translators are fluent in multiple languages and possess in-depth knowledge of legal, business, and personal document requirements. 

Whether you need your birth certificate, marriage license, academic transcripts, or any other document translated, we ensure that the translated version maintains the same meaning and intent as the original.

Schedule your Free Consultation here.

US citizens abroad? If you are in need of a Federal Apostille for your state issued documents My Georgia Notary and Apostille can assist you with your request, no matter where you are in the world. 

We can assist you with legalizing documents for non-Hague countries via the Embassy or Consulate. Please note that for these types of requests, original documents, translations and certifications are required and processing times may vary per country. 

Trust us to handle your Apostille needs efficiently and effectively. 

• Your document(s) for notarization, 
• a valid identification (Government issued, with a photo, not expired),
• Check the document for a witness signature other than the Notary Public, you may need to bring an adult over the age of 18 years of age with valid identification.
• Ink Pen (Blue or Black)

YES!  Nationwide Mobile Notary & Apostille Services

At My Georgia Notary, we offer mobile notary and Apostille services across all 50 states, ensuring your documents are notarized and authenticated quickly and securely, wherever you are. Whether you need document notarization, Apostille for international use, or other legal document services, our nationwide team is here to help with fast, reliable service.

YES!   

When you're adopting a child from another country, your U.S. documents must be legally recognized by the foreign government. That's where an apostille—or document authentication (also called legalization in some countries)—comes in.

Documents commonly requiring this process include your home study, birth certificates, marriage certificate, and criminal background checks.

The type of certification you need depends on the country where you're adopting:

• If the country is a member of the Hague Adoption Convention, your documents will typically require an Apostille Certificate.
• If the country is not a Hague Convention member, your documents will usually need to go through the document authentication and embassy legalization process instead of receiving an apostille.

Before your documents can be apostilled or authenticated, they will need to be notarized and, depending on the document and the destination country's requirements, certified at the county, state, or even federal level.

The requirements can vary by country, but making sure your documents are prepared correctly from the beginning helps avoid unnecessary delays in your adoption journey.

In almost every case, the original document is required. Apostille authorities require original seals and signatures. Photocopies and scans of public documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, and court documents, cannot be apostilled.

For some documents, like diplomas and powers of attorney, a notarized copy may be an option in certain situations. The safest approach is to ask before assuming a copy will work.

Note: certified copies issued directly by the agency that created the record, such as vital records, are considered originals for apostille purposes. If you are unsure whether your document qualifies, contact us and we will review it before anything is submitted. Final acceptance always rests with the receiving institution or government.

No. A notary public only performs notarial acts, such as acknowledgments, jurats, and oaths. 

The apostille itself is issued only by a government authority: the Secretary of State, or the Authenticaiton Office, or the U.S. Department of State for federal documents like FBI background checks or a DD214 (Military Report of Separation) for example.

A mobile notary working as an apostille facilitator acts as your facilitator or liaison. We prepare the documents correctly, deliver them to the right office, and handle the process so you do not have to deal with traffic, lines, or rejected submissions. 

The facilitator or liaison does not provide the apostille; the government office does. Whether a document is accepted is always up to the receiving authority. 

 The path depends on your document and where it is going, but the basic steps are the same:

• Step 1: Confirm what the receiving country or institution needs: which document, and whether the destination is part of the Hague Apostille Convention or not.
• Step 2: Get the right version of the document: certified originals from vital records, or properly notarized documents for personal, professional or business documents.
• Step 3: Determine the issuing level: state-issued documents go to the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA) for Hague Convention countries OR  the Georgia Secretary of State for non-Hague countries; federal documents, like an FBI background check, go to the U.S. Department of State.
• Step 4: If the destination country is not part of the Hague Convention, the document follows the authentication route: county (where the notary obtained their commission) first, then state, then federal if applicable, then embassy or consulate legalization.
• Step 5: Submit and track, or hand it to a facilitator who coordinates the whole chain for you.

Every receiving office has its own requirements, and acceptance always rests with the receiving institution or government. Questions? Call 770.329.9700 or email support@mygeorgianotary.com.

For Georgia documents, apostilles are issued by the  Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA). 

Federal documents are handled by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC. You can submit these yourself, or use a facilitation service that handles the entire process for you, nationwide across all 50 states.

My Georgia Notary and Apostille is based in the Atlanta metro area at 2727 Paces Ferry Road SE., Bldg. 1, Ste. 750, Atlanta, Georgia 30339. We come to you for mobile notarization, and we handle the government submission process end to end, including federal documents and embassy or consulate legalization where needed. 

Final acceptance of any document always rests with the receiving institution or government.

Call 770.329.9700 or email support@mygeorgianotary.com to get started.

Court documents, such as judgments, orders, and decrees, are issued by your county clerk of court and must be certified copies. 

The apostille is  permanently attached to the clerk’s certification, not a photocopy.

For Georgia state court documents, the route runs through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Authority.

A few rules protect your document: do not remove staples, do not alter or annotate certified documents, and confirm which specific document the receiving party needs before anything is submitted. 

A facilitator prevents rejections by getting the certification level right the first time. Final acceptance always rests with the receiving institution or government.

Generally, no. Apostille authorities require original seals and signatures on paper documents, so photocopies, scans, and printouts of public documents cannot be apostilled.

But you'll need to confirm with the designation country because Digital apostilles (e-Apostilles) are issued and accepted under the electronic Apostille Program (e-APP) of the Hague Apostille Convention. That could also mean an electronic copy of your documents will be accepted. 

In theory, all countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention (more than 125 countries) recognize electronic apostilles, as they hold equal legal weight to physical apostilles.

Check with a facilitator before printing a scan and assuming it will work. Submitting the wrong version is a common cause of rejection, and whether any document is accepted always rests with the receiving institution or government.

No. An apostille or authentication only certifies the origin and authority of the signature and seal on a U.S. document. Whether the receiving country, agency, employer, or institution accepts it is entirely their decision.

Be careful with any provider who says otherwise. Acceptance always rests with the receiving institution or government.

What a good facilitator guarantees is a correctly prepared, correctly submitted document chain, nothing more. Questions? Call 770.329.9700 or email support@mygeorgianotary.com.

Watch for these warning signs before you hand over a document or a payment:

• Guaranteed turnaround dates. Federal processing times change, sometimes with little notice. We do not promise turnaround dates, and be cautious of anyone who does.
• “100% compliant” or “guaranteed acceptance” language. No provider can promise how a receiving authority will decide.
• Prices that seem too good to be true, with no explanation of what is included.
• No verifiable business address or phone number.
• Pressure tactics, or requests to send original documents without clear instructions on how they will be protected and returned.

Instead, look for a transparent process and a real business presence: a veteran-owned company, a physical address, and published fees. The best providers are the ones who tell you what they cannot promise.