Georgia Notary Name Change and Address Update

The 30-Day Reporting Deadline

Georgia law requires commissioned notaries to report any change in their name, physical address, email, or phone number within 30 days. The notification must go to two places: your commissioning county's Clerk of Superior Court (in writing) and the GSCCCA.

If you miss this 30-day window, contact both offices promptly to resolve the reporting gap.

How Name Changes Work

A name change — whether from marriage, divorce, or a court order — triggers specific requirements that go beyond simple notification.

You must submit written notice to your county clerk that includes:

• Your old name and new legal name
• An example of your new official signature
• Supporting documentation (marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order)

Here's the critical part: you must stop performing notarizations under your new name until you receive formal confirmation of the name change from the clerk's office and obtain a new official seal reflecting the updated name. Performing notarizations with a seal that doesn't match your current legal name creates legally questionable documents that could be challenged in court.

The practical timeline usually works like this:

1. Submit your change notice with supporting documentation to the clerk
2. Wait for the clerk's written confirmation (processing time varies by county)
3. Order a new seal with your updated name, commissioning county, and "Notary Public, Georgia"
4. Resume notarizing once the new seal arrives

During the gap between your name change and receiving the new seal, do not use the new name for notarizations until the clerk confirms the change and you obtain the new seal.

Your old seal should be destroyed once you receive the replacement. Keeping both in circulation creates a risk of accidentally using the wrong one.

How Address Changes Work

Address changes are simpler than name changes. Notify your county clerk and the GSCCCA in writing within 30 days of moving.

Same county move: If you move to a different address within the same county, your commission remains valid and your seal doesn't need to change. File the written notice and continue notarizing normally.

Different county move: This gets complicated. Your commission was issued by and through the Clerk of Superior Court in your original county. Georgia doesn't have an automatic transfer mechanism between counties. You have two options:

1. Let your current commission run until it expires, then apply fresh in your new county. You can continue notarizing under your original county's commission during this period — Georgia notary commissions are valid statewide, not limited to the commissioning county. But your renewal will need to be filed in your new county.

2. Resign your current commission and apply immediately in your new county. This gets you a fresh four-year term but creates a gap where you can't notarize at all (during the resignation and new application processing).

Contact both your old county clerk and your new county clerk to understand the most efficient path for your situation. Most notaries who move mid-commission choose option 1 unless they have a specific reason to want a fresh start.

Phone and Email Updates

Any change to your phone number or email address must also be reported within 30 days. Send written notice to your county clerk and the GSCCCA with your old and new contact information.

This is the easiest update — no seal changes, no gap in notarizing authority. But the 30-day deadline still applies, and ignoring it can flag your commission record as non-compliant.

Lost or Stolen Seals — A Shorter Deadline

If your notary seal is lost, misplaced, or stolen, the reporting deadline is tighter: 10 days from discovery, not 30. Notify your commissioning Clerk of Superior Court and the GSCCCA in writing.

A lost or stolen seal is a security issue. Someone who finds or steals your seal could use it to notarize fraudulent documents in your name, creating liability exposure for you. Report it immediately and ask the clerk's office how to handle notarizations while a replacement seal is pending.

If you discover the loss within business hours, contact the clerk's office by phone the same day and follow up with formal written notice. The written notice is the legally required step, but the phone call creates a contemporaneous record of when you reported it.

Resignation of Commission

If you decide you no longer want to be a notary — whether because you've moved, changed careers, or simply don't need the commission anymore — you must formally resign. Send a letter of resignation to your Clerk of Superior Court, copy the GSCCCA, and physically destroy your seal to prevent unauthorized use.

If you decide to resign before the commission expires, use the formal process above so the clerk and GSCCCA receive notice.

For a complete reference on reporting deadlines, county clerk contact information, and a commission timeline tracker that maps all your critical dates from oath through renewal, see the Georgia Notary Commission Guide.

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