Yes, a notary is required.
The petition is verified under oath before a notary or the probate clerk, and each heir's consent must be sworn the same way.
In the official wording
"must be sworn to before a notary public or the clerk of any probate court of this State."
From the official pages listed below, checked November 2026.
What else the signing needs
- Value limit
- A bank may pay not more than $15,000 of an intestate depositor's funds to the family on the statutory affidavit, without administration. The probate court's 'no administration necessary' order has no dollar limit.
"not more than $15,000"
- Where it goes
- Filed with the probate court of the county.
"IN THE PROBATE COURT OF ____ COUNTY"
- Official form
- GPCSF 9, Petition for Order Declaring No Administration Necessary. A Georgia Probate Court Standard Form. Open the official form
- Other simplified route
- Order declaring no administration necessary. For a person who died without a will, when the estate owes no debts (or creditors consent) and all the heirs agree on how to divide it. The form sets no dollar limit.
- Surviving spouse
- Under the deceased-depositor affidavit, the bank pays the surviving spouse first, then children, parents and siblings.
"To the surviving spouse, if there is one."
Not confirmed on the pages we read: the waiting period. Check with the probate court or court clerk (Georgia Probate Court Standard Form GPCSF 9, Petition for Order Declaring No Administration Necessary (eff. July 2021)).
Next step
Sign by video with our New Jersey notary while you're in Georgia, 7 AM to 9 PM Eastern, seven days a week, by appointment. New Jersey law lets a New Jersey notary notarize for a signer located in another state (N.J.S.A. 52:7-10.10). How Georgia treats it: Georgia deeds signed out of state need an out-of-state officer such as a notary, plus two witnesses (O.C.G.A. §44-2-21). More on Georgia signers.
Georgia real estate needs two witnesses, which makes remote signing hard. Talk to the closing attorney before you plan anything. For other documents, confirm acceptance with the receiving party first.
Ask the bank, holder or court that will receive the affidavit whether it accepts an electronically notarized one.
Book an online notarization Request a mobile notary in Georgia
In person, we look for a notary commissioned in Georgia near you; you approve the price first.
If a local notary in Georgia does it: $2 for each notarial act, under the state's fee rules (Georgia notary fees).
Official sources
- Georgia Probate Court Standard Form GPCSF 9, Petition for Order Declaring No Administration Necessary (eff. July 2021) (checked November 2026)
- Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services: Instructions and statutory affidavit for obtaining a deceased depositor's funds (O.C.G.A. 7-1-239) (checked November 2026)
We are not lawyers, and this is general information, not legal advice. Checked November 2026. Rules change, and whoever receives the document decides what it accepts; we can't guarantee acceptance.
Common questions
Is a notary required for a Georgia small estate affidavit?
Yes, a notary is required. The petition is verified under oath before a notary or the probate clerk, and each heir's consent must be sworn the same way.
What is the small estate limit in Georgia?
A bank may pay not more than $15,000 of an intestate depositor's funds to the family on the statutory affidavit, without administration. The probate court's 'no administration necessary' order has no dollar limit.
Is the Georgia affidavit filed with a court?
Filed with the probate court of the county.
Can I sign the Georgia affidavit with an online notary?
Our New Jersey notary can notarize it by video while you're in Georgia. Georgia deeds signed out of state need an out-of-state officer such as a notary, plus two witnesses (O.C.G.A. §44-2-21). Ask the bank, holder or court that will receive it whether it accepts an electronically notarized affidavit.
What does a notary charge in Georgia?
$2 for each notarial act, under the state's fee rules. A mobile notary may add a travel fee; ask for the total first.
Keep going
A small estate affidavit in another state: District of Columbia · Kentucky · every state