Common Questions People Have When Using a Notary
Q: WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT WHEN MY NOTARY ARRIVES?
A: Notarizations consist of three parts:
1) The Notary Public will ask you to provide legal identification such as a driver's license or passport.
2) The Notary Public will record the signing in their public record book which keeps track of the notarial acts completed by the notary. Key details about the act will be recorded in our journal. This process protects all parties involved in the signing. All signers will be asked to sign the entry.
3) Finally, the Notary Public will complete a notarial certificate stating what facts the notary public is certifying during the notarization. The notary public will sign and seal the certificate, giving the transaction considerable weight in legal matters, rendering the signing of your documents “genuine on its face (i.e., prima facie evidence)” in a court of law.
Q: HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR NOTARIZATION?
A: Make sure the signer is present and willing to review and sign the documents. Also, please note that longer signings may accrue additional charges. To move the process along efficiently, you should have proper identification ready, which can include any of the below:
A passport issued by the Department of State of the United States
A passport issued by a foreign government (stamped by U.S. INS or CIS)
A driver’s license issued by your state
An identification card issued by another state
A United States military identification card with photograph, description, signature and identifying number
Credible witnesses: Two people who personally know the signer and have acceptable identification are allowable if the signer does not have an acceptable form/s of identification
Q: DO NOTARIES ONLY SPECIALIZE IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY?
A: No, notary publics come from many different backgrounds. Some areas where notaries can be helpful include:
Wealth management: financial and insurance documents
Divorces: Settlement agreements, pre-nuptial agreements
Powers of attorney and certified copies of powers of attorney
Estate planning: trusts, powers of attorney, wills
Adoption: medical, employer verification and background checks
Construction: waivers, claims, releases upon payment
Permission to travel: passport applications for minors
Job applications requiring the signature of a notary
Q: CAN NOTARIES DO LAST MINUTE NOTARIZATION'S?
A: Many notaries can do last-minute notarization's, however each notary keeps their own calendar and are not an employee of AccuSign Notaries. This means that you should reach out directly to the notary by using the contact information on their listing to schedule a notarization, not AccuSign.
Q: ARE NOTARIES AVAILABLE AFTER HOURS AND ON WEEKENDS?
A: Typically, notaries are available after hours, on the weekend, and potentially holidays. Since notaries are not employees of AccuSign, you should reach out to the notary directly using the contact information on their listing about scheduling a notarization.
