Section 45-17-6. Seal of office

   (a)(1) For the authentication of his notarial acts each notary public must provide a seal of office, which seal shall have for its impression his name, the words "Notary Public," the name of the state, and the county of his residence; or it shall have for its impression his name and the words "Notary Public, Georgia, State at Large." Notaries commissioned or renewing their commission after July 1, 1985, shall provide a seal of office which shall have for its impression the notary's name, the words "Notary Public," the name of the state, and the county of his appointment. The embossment of notarial certificates by the notary's seal shall be authorized but not necessary, and the use of a rubber or other type stamp shall be sufficient for imprinting the notary's seal. A scrawl shall not be a sufficient notary seal. An official notarial act must be documented by the notary's seal.

   (2) No document executed prior to July 1, 1986, which would otherwise be eligible for recording in the real property records maintained by any clerk of superior court or constitute record notice or actual notice of any matter to any person shall be ineligible for recording or fail to constitute such notice because of noncompliance with the requirement that the document contain a notary seal.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to supply a notary public seal to any person unless the person has presented the duplicate original of the certificate commissioning the person as a notary public. It shall be unlawful for any person to order or obtain a notary public seal unless such person is commissioned as a notary public.

Ga. L. 1863-64, p. 58, § 3; Code 1863, § 1452; Code 1868, § 1509; Code 1873, § 1503; Code 1882, § 1503; Civil Code 1895, § 505; Civil Code 1910, § 623; Code 1933, § 71-107; Ga. L. 1947, p. 1108, § 1; Ga. L. 1949, p. 1940, § 3; Ga. L. 1952, p. 456, § 1; Ga. L. 1982, p. 1106, § 1; Ga. L. 1984, p. 1105, § 1; Ga. L. 1985, p. 1469, § 5; Ga. L. 1986, p. 1446, § 4.