Last verified: November 1, 2026
Georgia apostille: the $3 fee, the right office, mail or walk-in, and how to prepare each document
Georgia is one of the states where the Secretary of State does not issue apostilles. The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA) is the only state agency authorized to issue apostilles for Georgia documents, and its Atlanta office is the only location. [1] The apostille verifies the signature and seal of the Georgia public official or notary on your document. It does not verify what the document says, and it isn't valid for use inside the United States. [1]
| Which office | GSCCCA, Attn: Notary Division, 1875 Century Blvd., Ste. 100, Atlanta, GA 30345 (mail and walk-in). Phone 404-327-6023 or 800-304-5175, email notary@gsccca.org. [1] |
|---|---|
| What it costs | $3.00 per document for an apostille. [1] Certified copies of the record itself are a separate fee from the office that issues them. |
| How long it takes | Walk-in: typically less than twenty minutes, depending on how many documents you bring. Mail: normally one to two business days, not counting mailing time. [1] |
| Walk-in hours | 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. No appointment is necessary. [1] |
| How to pay | Walk-in: cash, a check payable to GSCCCA with a pre-printed name and address, a money order, or a credit card. By mail: a pre-printed check or money order payable to GSCCCA, or the GSCCCA's credit card pre-payment voucher. [1] |
First, the country decides which office you need
- Country is in the Hague Apostille Convention: you need an apostille from the GSCCCA. [1] Check the country on the Hague Conference status table. [3]
- Country is not in the Convention: the GSCCCA can't help. You need a Great Seal certification from the Georgia Secretary of State instead (phone 404-656-2871). [1][2] The Secretary of State's page lists a $10 fee per document for the Great Seal. [2] See apostille vs. authentication.
Documents going to a foreign embassy or consulate inside the U.S. count as international documents for that country. [1]
Get the right version of your document first
Most rejections come down to sending the wrong copy. Here's what the GSCCCA says each document needs: [1]
- Birth or death certificate: an official certified copy issued by the Georgia Department of Community Health or the county Probate Court or Health Department, preferably issued since 2000, with the issuing official's signature and seal. If yours was issued before 2000, the GSCCCA recommends ordering a new certified copy, because it may not have the older official's signature on file. [1]
- Marriage certificate or license: an official certified copy from the county Probate Court, preferably issued since 2000. [1]
- Divorce decree: a certified copy from the county Clerk of Superior Court, preferably issued since 2000. Printed digital copies from counties in the eCertification program are accepted. [1]
- Diploma: a Georgia notary makes a certified copy of the original, stating it is a "true and exact copy of the original," and the apostille goes on that copy. [1]
- School transcripts: a school official signs them in front of a notary. Only Georgia school transcripts can be apostilled in Georgia. [1]
- Power of attorney, affidavits and other private documents: they must be properly notarized under Georgia law before you submit them. Notarized documents don't need a separate county certification first. [1]
- Translations: the translator signs an affidavit in front of a Georgia notary, and the notary can't also be the translator. You don't need to translate a document into English before the apostille. [1]
- Corporate documents: certified copies issued by the current Secretary of State, either from its office or downloaded from its website. [1]
Background checks: FBI, GBI or local police
- FBI record check signed by an FBI official with the FBI seal: that's a federal document, so it goes to the U.S. Department of State, not the GSCCCA. [1] See our FBI background check guide.
- GBI record check signed by a GBI official with the signature witnessed by a notary: ready for the GSCCCA apostille. [1]
- Local police check: the police official's signature has to be notarized. If the agency won't notarize it, the GSCCCA has a Criminal Records Check affidavit you can sign in front of any Georgia notary. [1]
Ask the destination country which level of record check it wants before you order one. [1]
By mail, step by step
- Your original certified or notarized documents. Photocopies are rejected unless a Georgia notary properly certified the copy. [1]
- A cover letter or short note naming the destination country and giving your contact information. The GSCCCA posts an example Apostille Request Letter in its Notary Files & Forms section. [1]
- Payment of $3 per document: a pre-printed check or money order payable to GSCCCA, or the credit card pre-payment voucher. [1]
- A prepaid, self-addressed return envelope or airbill. FedEx or UPS return airbills must be computer generated; handwritten ones aren't accepted. [1]
Mail to: GSCCCA, Attn: Notary Division, 1875 Century Blvd., Ste. 100, Atlanta, GA 30345. [1]
What the GSCCCA can't apostille
- Documents from other states (each state handles its own). [1]
- Federal documents, including a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Those go to the U.S. Department of State. [1] See federal documents.
- Documents issued by a foreign country, and documents that will be used inside the U.S. [1]
Note: the Georgia Secretary of State's website blocks automated checks, so the Great Seal fee above was confirmed from the official page's published text as indexed on November 1, 2026. The GSCCCA details were checked directly on its page the same day. If anything differs from the current official page, follow the official page.