August 09, 2019
When preparing legal documents, you may need to have a document notarized.
This is a fairly straightforward process, but knowing what to expect will help you avoid delays and mistakes. Here’s a closer look at how to have something notarized and what you need to bring to the notary.
A notary public, often called a notary, is a state-appointed professional who witnesses signature. The notary prevents fraud by verifying the identity and willingness of the signer. You can find notary publics in banks, law offices, government agencies, schools, and your local AAA branch.
A notary signing agent specializes in real estate, such as facilitating mortgages and loan documents. Like a notary public, they witness signatures but they will also review the document with the signer and provide any explanation needed.
Notaries can notarize a wide range of legal documents that require a neutral third party to verify authenticity. If you need to get a document notarized, call the notary ahead of time to make sure they can handle that particular document. Common items that can be notarized include:
Additional documents need a notary but may also require an additional party such as a lawyer.
Ensure that your form of ID is government-issued, current, and contains a photo and a physical description. Examples are a passport, state-issued driver’s license or non-driver’s license/ID, or military ID. If more than one signature is required, each signer must be present and bring a valid form of identification.
You can fill out the information on your document, but make sure you do not sign the notary until you arrive. Pay special attention to any blank spaces on the document to be notarized. After double-checking that the blank space shouldn’t be left blank, put a line through the space or write “NA” (not applicable) or complete the blank, as appropriate. If there are misspellings, make the change on the document prior to the notarization.
Bring the full documentation that is being notarized, not just the page(s) that require a signature. If your document does not contain all numbered pages, it may not be notarized.
Know what type of notarization you need—an acknowledgement, jurat or other—prior to your arrival. This is especially important if the notarial certificate is not attached to your document. If you need a gold medallion signature, contact a financial institution. Please ask the organization or person requiring the notarization to provide you with the notarial statement or to advise the type of notarial statement needed. Notarizations have important legal ramifications. As they are not attorneys, notaries cannot decide the type of notarization required.
Quick tip: Be prepared to pay as some services require a fee. Research what is necessary beforehand and make any necessary appointments.
On the day of: Bring the required items and all parties needing to sign, and sign in the presence of the notary. The notary will add the official authorization, and your document will be fully legal and properly witnessed.
1AAA Premier members receive free notary services on a limited number of personal documents and/or a limited number of signatures per day.
