What is a Notary Public?
A Notary Public is a public servant appointed by the State to act as an impartial witness in taking acknowledgments, administering oaths and affirmations, and performing other acts authorized by state law. Notaries lend credibility to the authenticity of certain sensitive signed documents. A notarized document lends assurance to the public that it’s signer is the person who signed the document – and to the signer that the document they have signed will have full force and effect.
What Identification is required for notarization? Each signer must present at least one of the forms of ID listed below. The ID must be current.
- Driver’s License of nondriver’s ID card issued by a U.S. State.
- U.S. passport
- U.S. Military Identification Card that contains all required elements stated above,
- Driver’s License issued in Mexico or Canada. (Must be current & have your picture on it)
- Foreign passport that has been stamped by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
- Call me to find out if I can take others.
What is a “Mobile” Notary Public?
The “mobile” designation mean the notary does the traveling. We come to your home, office, or other location at your convenience, giving you the advantage of flexible scheduling – evenings and weekends as well as regular business hours.
Can a document be notarized when the signer does not have proper identification?
We MUST see your valid ID when we witness you signing your documents.
Why do documents require notarization?
Most importantly to deter fraud. To help protect the legal rights of the persons whose signatures are being notarized. It is the legal responsibility of the notary, serving as an impartial witness and public official, to ensure that the signers of notarized documents are indeed who they claim to be.
Can a document with blank lines be notarized?
A notary public may not notarize a document that is incomplete. This if for the public’s protection from the widespread occurrence of fraud.
Is notarization required by law?
For certain documents, yes. Many affidavits, powers of attorney, and other types of documents must be properly notarized to become legally binding. Oftentimes one of the simplest ways to determine whether a document requires notarization is to examine it- specifically, in the vicinity of the signature area- for notarial wording, such as “…subscribed and sworn to before me…”or”…acknowledged to…” Such wording varies from state to state (and from country to country), so use these examples only as a general guide. Also be aware that not all documents requiring notarizing contain the mandatory notarial wording; in such cases, the notary must add the necessary wording to the documents.