Georgia Apostille

Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA) apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in Georgia, for $3 per document. Pick the document and the country to see what it needs first and how to send it. This runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Georgia office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

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Pick the state where the document was issued, recorded or notarized, not the state you live in.

Choose who issued the document, the kind of document and the country to see the steps.

Who issues apostilles in Georgia

Apostilles for documents issued in Georgia come from Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA); the certificate for countries outside the Apostille Convention comes from Georgia Secretary of State, Elections Division (Authentications). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $3 per document. (source)
  • For countries outside the Apostille Convention, the certificate comes from a different office: Georgia Secretary of State, Elections Division (Authentications). (source)
  • Great Seal Certification (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $10 per document. (source)

How to send a request

  • By mail (Atlanta): mail originals to the GSCCCA Notary Division with a cover letter naming the destination country and a prepaid return envelope or airbill (source)
  • In person (Atlanta): GSCCCA walk-in, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, no appointment; Atlanta is the only location (source)
  • The request must name the country where the document will be used.

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • GSCCCA: mailed documents normally take one to two business days. (source)
  • GSCCCA: walk-in requests typically take less than twenty minutes, depending on the number of documents. (source)
  • Secretary of State Great Seal (non-Hague): the current timeline is 3 to 5 business days. (source)
  • Georgia uses two offices: the GSCCCA issues apostilles for Hague countries, and the Secretary of State issues the Great Seal Certification for all other countries. (source)

What Georgia needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • For an apostille, get an official certified copy from the Georgia Department of Community Health, the county Probate Court or the Health Department, preferably issued since 2000. (source)
  • For an apostille, if your copy was issued before 2000, the GSCCCA recommends getting a new certified copy because the older signature may not be on file. (source)
  • For a non-Hague Great Seal Certification, the Secretary of State does not accept certificates from a county health department. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

  • Send an official certified copy with the signature and seal of the issuing Georgia state or county official; these documents are never notarized. (source)
  • Some counties issue digital certified copies of divorce decrees through eCertification; a printed copy can be apostilled. (source)

Notarized document (power of attorney, affidavit, consent letter, translation)

  • For an apostille, have the document notarized under Georgia law; no county certification is needed before the GSCCCA. (source)
  • For a non-Hague Great Seal Certification only: after notarization, get a notary certification from the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the notary is commissioned. (source)

School diploma or transcript

  • Transcripts and grades: a school official signs them in front of a notary; only Georgia schools. (source)
  • Diplomas: a Georgia notary makes a certified copy stating it is a true and exact copy of the original, and the apostille is attached to that copy. (source)

Other state-issued document (business certificate, state background check)

  • Corporate documents on file with the Secretary of State must be certified copies issued by the current Secretary of State. (source)

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

For a country outside the Apostille Convention, Georgia Secretary of State, Elections Division (Authentications) issues its Great Seal Certification instead of an apostille. Then:

  • For a country outside the Convention, send the state-certified document to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, with Form DS-4194 and the $20 fee per document. (source)

Last, the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the United States legalizes it; ask it about its own steps, fees and timing before you send anything.

What the office will not accept or handle

  • The GSCCCA does not handle documents for countries outside the Apostille Convention; those go to the Georgia Secretary of State. (source)
  • Out-of-state documents. (source)
  • Photocopies, unless a Georgia notary properly certified the copy. (source)
  • Federal documents, including the Consular Report of Birth Abroad, go to the U.S. Department of State Authentications Office. (source)

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

  • It does not file anything. Requests go to Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA).
  • It does not cover documents from another state or a federal agency; those go to their own office.
  • It does not list embassy legalization rules for countries outside the Convention.
  • It does not promise processing times; fees and forms change, so check the office's page before you send originals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I get an apostille in Georgia?

Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA) issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in Georgia. The fee is $3 per document. Requests can be mailed to the office in Atlanta. The office also serves people in person; check its page for hours and any appointment rule before going.

How do I apostille a birth certificate from Georgia?

For an apostille, get an official certified copy from the Georgia Department of Community Health, the county Probate Court or the Health Department, preferably issued since 2000. For an apostille, if your copy was issued before 2000, the GSCCCA recommends getting a new certified copy because the older signature may not be on file. For a non-Hague Great Seal Certification, the Secretary of State does not accept certificates from a county health department. Then send it to Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA) with the $3 fee, naming the destination country.

Does a document notarized in Georgia need a county clerk certification first?

For an apostille, have the document notarized under Georgia law; no county certification is needed before the GSCCCA. For a non-Hague Great Seal Certification only: after notarization, get a notary certification from the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the notary is commissioned.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

Georgia Secretary of State, Elections Division (Authentications) issues its great seal certification instead of an apostille. Send it next to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications (Form DS-4194, $20 per document); the destination country's embassy or consulate then legalizes it.

How do I get an apostille for an FBI background check?

An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document, so a state office cannot apostille it. The U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications handles it: send Form DS-4194, the document and the $20 fee per document. The form asks for the country where the document will be used.

Do I need a paid apostille service?

No. Every office on this page accepts requests directly from the public by mail, and some take them online. A service can only file the same request with the same office for you.

Sources

Georgia office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

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