Become a Notary

QUALIFICATIONS

To become a notary in Forsyth County you must meet the following qualifications:

  • Be at least 18 years old.
  • Be a citizen of the United States or a legal resident of the United States.
  • Be a legal resident of the county in which he or she applies (or, if a non-Georgia resident, you must reside in a state bordering Georgia and carry on a business profession in Georgia or be regularly employed in the Georgia county of application).
  • Have, and provide at the time of application, the applicant’s operating telephone number.
  • Be able to read and write English.

NOTARY TRAINING

Effective January 1, 2023, all NEW and RENEWAL applicants must complete the online notary training and exam and pass with a score of 90% or above (available at: elearn.gsccca.org). There is a $2 fee associated with the exam.

HOW TO APPLY

All notary applications must be completed online, printed and brought in person to the Forsyth County Courthouse. New and renewal applications are $51.00 and can be paid by cash, check or money order. Before coming to the courthouse, please be advised of the following information:

NEW APPLICATIONS

All new applications must be signed by two endorsers that are not related to you. They must be residents of Forsyth County and provide their home address and phone number. Both endorsers are required to sign the application.

RENEWAL APPLICATIONS

Renewal applications are valid only for those holding a current unexpired appointment from Forsyth County. Notaries with renewals may renew their notary commission up to 30 days prior to their expiration date. Renewal applicants who do not renew on or before the commission expiration date will be required to apply as a new notary.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE ONLINE NOTARY APPLICATION

OTHER NOTARY SERVICES
NOTARY AUTHENTICATION

Notary authentications, or certifications, are available at the courthouse for $3.00 each. Please note that the notary must be commissioned in Forsyth County to be authenticated.

NAME, ADDRESS OR PHONE NUMBER CHANGE

Current notaries who change their name, address or phone number must submit The Notary Public Contact Information Change Form to the Forsyth County Clerk of Court within thirty days of the change and provide a copy to the GSCCCA. The form shall be signed by the notary and contain both the old information as well as the new information.

NOTARY PUBLIC CONTACT INFORMATION CHANGE FORM (PDF)

In the event of a name change, the notary must appear in person at the courthouse and provide a new signature sample to the clerk's office. A notary with a new name may begin to officially sign the new name when the appointing Clerk of Superior Court has received the notice; a confirmation of the name change has been received from the appointing Clerk of Superior Court (typically an amended notary certificate of appointment); and a new seal bearing the new name has been obtained.