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 its 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 is a mobile notary public?
The "mobile" designation means 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.

What is a certified notary signing agent?
A Certified Notary Signing Agent has special expertise to conduct loan signings. The Signing Agent is hired as an independent contractor by a title, mortgage, or escrow company, a lender, or a signing service to ensure that the loan signing process is properly completed.

A "certified" notary signing agent has taken training beyond that of the average notary, which provides for specialized competence when dealing with loan documents.

What identification is required for notarizations?
Each signer must present at least one of forms of ID listed below. The ID must be current or, if expired, have been issued within the last 5 years; contain the signer's photograph, personal description, and signature; and bear a serial or other identifying number (Civil Code, Section 1185).

• Driver's License or nondriver's ID card issued by a U.S. state.
• U.S. passport (physical description not required).
• US Military Identification Card that contains all required elements stated above, (The Common Access Card CAC is not acceptable).
• Driver's license issued in Mexico or Canada.
• Foreign passport stamped by the U.S. Citzenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
• Inmate ID Issued by the Washington Dept. of Corrections
  
  Unacceptable Identification Documents include:

  • Matricula consular card.
  • Social Security cards.
  • Temporary driver's licenses.
  • Driver's licences without photographs.

Can a document be notarized when the signer does not have the proper identification?

If the identification of a signer cannot be based on the notary's personal knowledge of the signer or proper I.D., a notary may rely on the oath of a personally known credible identifying witness OR two credible identifying witnesses that are unknown to the notary.

Credibile witnesses must have appropriate identification, not have financial interest in, or be named as a party in the document being signed.

What is an Acknowledgement?
It is a type of notarization used to certify the identity of the document signer.   

What is a Jurat?
It is a type of notarization used to certify that the signer has sworn the contents of the document are true.

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 (Government Section 8205). This is for the public's protection from the widespread occurrance of fraud.

Is notarization required by law?
For certain documents, yes.  Many affidavits, real estate deeds, loan papers, 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 notarizing 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 me..."  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 cases such as these, the notary public must add the necessary wording to the documents.

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