Registering Existing Arms
Process
Applying for a Registrations of Armorial Bearings and Other Heraldic Emblems
Apply for a Registration of Arms if:
- You currently hold armorial bearings and
- Your arms were granted by an official heraldic authority or
- You have proof of long-term family use of existing arms
Otherwise, you should petition for a Grant of Arms.
The College is now operational and we are processing requests in the order they were received. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work diligently to assist all petitioners in a fair and timely manner.
1. Petitioning
To begin the process of registration, a petition for registration must be submitted via email to one of the officers of arms of the Royal Heraldic College of Georgia. Once the petition has been received, an officer of arms will contact the petitioner to obtain any remaining relevant information and documentation required to determine eligibility and process the registration.
2. Review and Authorization
The petition for registration and supporting materials are examined by the College and a determination is made as to whether the registration may be able to proceed and under what (if any) limitations.
Note: Only honours and titles from the Royal House of Georgia will be included in your Letters Patent.
3. Exemplification (final artwork)
We will work with you to update your arms or paint them as they currently exist. The initial concept sketches are included in the Registration fee.
Once your updated arms have been finalized to your satisfaction and that of the College, we will paint an exemplification of your armorial bearings. This is the final painted version of your arms that is kept in our records and utilized in our Option A and B letters patent.
Note: Only honours and titles from the Royal House of Georgia will be painted on your exemplification.
For the exemplification fee, refer to our pricelist.
4. Letters Patent (Included)
Following the payment of the fees to the College by the petitioner, and once the design has been prepared to the satisfaction of the College and the petitioner, the College will prepare a patent of registration which will include the formal heraldic description (blazon) of the armorial bearings, the exemplification (painting of your updated arms), and any other applicable authorizations to make use of heraldic privileges.
Once it is approved by the petitioner, the document is signed and sealed by the College before being posted to the armiger. A digital copy will be retained by the College, and the registered arms are entered into the Register of Arms, Badges, Flags, and Other Emblems of the Royal House of Georgia.
5. Letters Patent (Additional Options)
To provide petitioners with options to suit their varied preferences, the College offers, in addition to the standard letter-size registration document, two additional options with varying formats and price tiers. Further details are provided in the Letters Patent Options box below.
Letters Patent Options
Upon the registration of your arms, you will receive a letter-sized, multipage Letters Patent included in the fee you paid to the College. If you wish to display your Letters Patent, we offer two additional options available at separate pricing tiers.
Note: Only honours and titles from the Royal House of Georgia will be included in your Letters Patent.
Option A: Multipage Letter (included)
Our standard Letters Patent, included in the fees, is issued to all recipients. This is a letter-sized (8.5x11") multipage document printed on archival paper, bound with a red ribbon, secured with the wax seal of the Royal House of Georgia, embossed with the seal of the College and signed by the Herald Master of Arms. It is not suitable for framing.
Option B: Professional Print in a Branded and Padded Document Holder
High-quality 11"x14" professional print featuring digital typography, printed on durable archival paperstock, ideal for framing or safe storage in the included padded and branded document holder.
Designed by Herald Master Kingsley and embellished with a printed decorative border of traditional Georgian motifs by our Honorary Herald Painter Tania Crossingham. It bears the wax seal of the Royal House of Georgia and is signed by the Herald Master of Arms.
The document holder is adorned with the arms of the Royal House of Georgia, the Royal Heraldic College of Georgia, and the Herald Master of Arms, along with a border of traditional Georgian motifs. The same decorative elements are printed in full color onto moiré fabric on the inside flap of the document holder.
Production time is one week after PDF proof is authorized by petitioner. See examples here.
Option C: Illuminated Manuscript
Our most bespoke offering consists of an Illuminated manuscript in the medieval tradition on calfskin vellum, meticulously hand-painted and hand-engrossed by Tania Crossingham, Herald Painter of the Royal House of Georgia. There is artistic license and flexibility regarding the design features and format.
Please allow up to six months for the waiting list to clear, and then an additional three months after work begins for the completion of this artwork. See examples here.