The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) is required by law to verify citizenship/immigration status for the public benefits we issue. These public benefits include licenses, certifications, registrations, and state grants. The full law is O.C.G.A. § 50-36. You need to provide documentation of your status before you can receive a license from GDA.
To comply with the law, we require two documents for each license
#1 A notarized affidavit that you are
- a United States citizen, OR
- a legal permanent resident of the United States, OR
- a qualified alien or non-immigrant under the Federal Immigration and Nationality Act
Download the blank affidavit document
#2 Supporting documentation
The most common documents we receive are driver's license, state ID, passport, and military ID. Non-citizens frequently use a permanent resident card ("green card") or employment authorization. See the FAQ for a full list of acceptable documents.
Want to avoid submitting your S&V documents repeatedly for many licenses? Contact us if we've already approved them for another license program. Please provide the program name and license number and/or licensee name.
The documents you provide may have sensitive information. Rest assured that we secure your data using several different methods, including secure SSL encryption, a secure facility with biometric access for document storage, and strict user/password protocols.