Section 45-17-19. Authenticity of official signature and term of office; fees; apostille

   (a) The authenticity of the official signature and term of office of a notary public may be evidenced by:

   (1) A certificate of authority from the appointing clerk of superior court or the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority; or

   (2) An apostille in the exact form prescribed by the Hague Convention from the Secretary of State, provided that an apostille shall be obtained only from the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority on or after the thirtieth day following the designation, by the United States Department of State, of the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority as an authority in the United States competent to issue an apostille.

(b) The fee for a certificate of authority shall be $2.00. The fee for an apostille shall be $3.00.

(c) An apostille as specified by the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents shall be attached to any document requiring authentication that is bound for a nation that has signed and ratified the Hague Convention.

Code 1981, § 45-17-19, enacted by Ga. L. 1984, p. 1105, § 1; Ga. L. 1997, p. 673, § 2.