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Buying a Home

What to Bring to Closing in Georgia (and How to Avoid Wire Fraud)

What to bring to closing in Georgia: photo ID and funds as your closing attorney instructs. Plus how to avoid wire fraud and what happens at the table.

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Quick answer

In Georgia, closings are handled by a closing attorney, and most buyers sign in about an hour. Bring a government-issued photo ID and have your funds ready in the form your closing attorney asks for, usually a wire transfer sent in advance or a cashier’s check. The most important rule: confirm wiring instructions by calling your closing attorney at a phone number you already know, not one from an email, because wire fraud targets home buyers.

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Who runs a Georgia closing

Georgia is an attorney closing state. A licensed closing attorney prepares and reviews the documents, collects and sends the money, records the deed, and makes sure everyone signs what they need to. Your lender, your agent, and the seller’s side all work with the attorney’s office in the days leading up to closing.

A few days before closing, you will receive a Closing Disclosure from your lender showing your final loan terms and the cash you need to bring. Read it carefully and ask questions early.

What to bring

  • Government-issued photo ID for every person signing, like a driver’s license or passport.
  • Your funds to close, in the form the attorney’s office tells you, usually a wire sent ahead of time or a cashier’s check made out exactly as instructed. Personal checks are generally not accepted for the main amount.
  • Any documents your lender asked for that are still outstanding.
  • Proof of homeowner’s insurance, if your lender has not already received it.

Sellers typically bring ID and any keys, garage door openers, and codes for the new owner, and should confirm payoff details with the closing attorney ahead of time.

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Protect yourself from wire fraud

Wire fraud is one of the biggest risks in a home purchase. Scammers send emails that look like they came from your attorney, lender, or agent, with “updated” wiring instructions. Once money is wired to the wrong account, it is very hard to get back.

  • Call to confirm. Before you wire anything, call the closing attorney’s office at a number you got independently, such as from their official website or your contract, not from the email.
  • Be suspicious of changes. Legitimate closing offices rarely change wiring instructions at the last minute.
  • Confirm receipt. After you wire, call again to confirm the funds arrived.

What happens at the table

The attorney or their closer walks you through each document and explains what you are signing. You will sign the note, the mortgage (called a security deed in Georgia), and the settlement statement, along with other disclosures. Once everything is signed and the funds are confirmed, the closing can be completed, and the deed is recorded with the county.

Before closing, you will usually do a final walkthrough to confirm the home is in the condition you agreed to and that any agreed repairs are done.

If you want the full picture of the costs that show up on your settlement statement, I break them down in closing costs for buyers in Georgia. And once you have the keys, file for your homestead exemption so you do not miss the April 1 deadline.

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Closing day FAQs

A government-issued photo ID for each signer and your funds to close in the form your closing attorney requests, usually a wire sent in advance or a cashier’s check.

A licensed closing attorney. Georgia is an attorney closing state, so the attorney’s office prepares documents, handles funds, and records the deed.

Signing often takes about an hour for buyers, depending on questions and the number of documents.

Confirm wiring instructions by calling your closing attorney at a phone number you already know, not one from an email, and call again to confirm the funds arrived.

Typically once the documents are signed and the funds are confirmed, unless your contract says otherwise.

Next steps

Closing day goes smoothly when the details are handled ahead of time. If you are planning a purchase in Metro Atlanta and do not have an agent yet, you can browse homes for sale or book a time with me to talk through the process from first tour to keys.

This post is general information, not legal advice. Follow the instructions of your closing attorney and lender.

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Written by

Kristen D. Johnson, REALTOR

Metro Atlanta, intown and out. Grew up in East Point, lives in Edgewood, and has worked both sides of the perimeter long enough to know where the map lies to you.

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