FAQs

WHAT IS A NOTARY PUBLIC?

A Notary Public is an individual of integrity, appointed by the Secretary of State, to serve the public as an impartial witness, performing fraud-deterring notarial acts as are allowed or required by law.

As a Notary Public of the State of Georgia, Kimberly The Notary is commissioned by the Clerk of Superior Court in Cherokee County.

• According to O.C.G.A. 45-17-8 (2010), Notaries Public shall have authority to:

1. Witness or attest signature or execution of deeds and other written instruments;

2. Take acknowledgments;

3. Administer oaths and affirmations in all matters incidental to their duties as commercial officers and all other oaths and affirmations which are not by law required to be administered by a particular officer;

4. Witness affidavits upon oath or affirmation;

5. Take verifications upon oath or affirmation;

6. Make certified copies, provided that the document presented for copying is an original document and is neither a public record nor a publicly recorded document certified copies of which are available from an official source other than a notary and provided that the document was photocopied under supervision of the notary; and

7. Perform such other acts as they are authorized to perform by other laws of this state.

• According to O.C.G.A. 45-17-8 (2010), no Notary shall be obligated to perform a notarial act if he feels such act is:

1. For a transaction which the notary knows or suspects is illegal, false, or deceptive;

2. For a person who is being coerced;

3. For a person whose demeanor causes compelling doubts about whether the person knows the consequences of the transaction requiring the notarial act; or

4. In situations which impugn and compromise the notary's impartiality, as specified in subsection (c) of this Code section.

• According to O.C.G.A. 45-17-8 (2010), a Notary shall be disqualified from performing a notarial act in the following situations which impugn and compromise the notary's impartiality:

1. When the notary is a signer of the document which is to be notarized; or

2. When the notary is a party to the document or transaction for which the notarial act is required.

• According to O.C.G.A. 45-17-8 (2010), a Notary Public shall not execute a notarial certificate containing a statement known by the notary to be false nor perform any action with an intent to deceive or defraud.

• According to O.C.G.A. 45-17-8 (2010), in performing any notarial act, a Notary Public shall confirm the identity of the document signer, oath taker, or affirmant based on personal knowledge or on satisfactory evidence.

• According to O.C.G.A. 45-17-8 (2010), the signature of a Notary Public documenting a notarial act shall not be evidence to show that such notary public had knowledge of the contents of the document so signed, other than those specific contents which constitute the signature, execution, acknowledgment, oath, affirmation, affidavit, verification, or other act which the signature of that notary public documents, nor is a certification by a notary public that a document is a certified or true copy of an original document evidence to show that such notary public had knowledge of the contents of the document so certified. 

WHAT IS A NOTARIZATION?

A “notarization,” also known as a “notarial act,” means any act that a Notary Public is authorized to perform, and includes taking an acknowledgement, administering an oath or affirmation, taking a verification upon oath or affirmation, witnessing or attesting a signature, and certifying or attesting a copy of an instrument. 

DO YOU HAVE AN OFFICE WHERE I CAN SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT?

Kimberly The Notary is a fully mobile Notary Public service and does not maintain a physical office for appointments.  Appointments are generally scheduled where you are available (your home, office, etc.) or at public places such as local restaurants, coffee shops, or a public library.   Appointment location is set at the time the appointment is scheduled and determines any travel fees.

CAN YOU NOTARIZE A SIGNATURE WITHOUT THE SIGNER PRESENT?

No. While some states, such as California, do allow signatures by subscribing witness, Georgia does not.

WHAT IS AN OATH OR AFFIRMATION?

In some cases, a client may simply need to give an oath or affirmation orally, rather than as part of an affidavit or other written document.  The purpose of administering a verbal oath or affirmation is, again, to compel a client to truthfulness.

An oath is a solemn pledge to a Supreme Being.  An affirmation is a solemn pledge on the individual’s personal honor.  Again, the choice should be made by the signer.

WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?

Payments can be made via cash, check with valid ID, or Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover via Square Point-of-Sale, as well as PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle.  A booking deposit must be paid via email/text invoice in advance to secure your appointment and is non-refundable.