Apostilles and Document Authentication
Apostilles and Document Authentication tests how Georgia documents are certified for use abroad. Questions distinguish Hague Convention apostilles from non-Hague authentication chains, identify which office issues the certificate, and test document eligibility and common filing errors.
Apostille versus authentication
An apostille is a certificate issued under the Hague Apostille Convention. It is used for documents destined for another member country and certifies the authenticity of the signature or seal on the underlying document-not the truth of its contents. In Georgia, the Secretary of State issues apostilles for documents executed or certified in Georgia. For countries outside the Hague Convention, the process is authentication or legalization: the Georgia document is certified by the Secretary of State, then by the U.S. Department of State, and finally by the destination country's embassy or consulate.
Eligible documents and steps
- Notarized documents: the notary signs and seals, then the Secretary of State issues the apostille or authentication.
- Georgia vital records: obtain a certified copy from the state or county vital records office, then submit it to the Secretary of State.
- Court documents: obtain the clerk's certification, then submit to the Secretary of State.
- Federal documents: do not send them to Georgia; the U.S. Department of State handles them. The Georgia fee is a modest per-document charge (currently $3). Mail submissions should include the original document, a cover letter, payment, and a self-addressed return envelope.
Worked example
A Georgia notarized power of attorney will be used in Germany, a Hague member. The correct route is the Georgia notary's seal, then a Georgia Secretary of State apostille. Sending it to the U.S. Department of State first is wrong. If the same document were for a non-Hague country, the route would be Georgia Secretary of State authentication, then U.S. Department of State authentication, then the destination embassy.
Traps
Requesting an apostille for a non-Hague country; sending a notarized document directly to an embassy without state and federal authentication; submitting a photocopy instead of the original; and assuming an apostille proves the document's content.