Question 1

What is a Notary Public?

Accepted Answer

A person appointed by the Secretary of State to witness the signing of important documents, taking of acknowledgments and/or affidavits and administering oaths.

Question 2

What is a Loan Signing Agent?

Accepted Answer

A Loan Signing Agent is a notary specifically experienced and trained to handle loan documentation.

Question 3

Is my Notary Commission background screened, bonded and insured?"

Accepted Answer

All notaries in the State of California are required to submit to a background screening administered by the Department of Justice and the FBI.  As an additional measure for the safety of my clients I am background certified with the Nationa Notary Association, the foremost name in industry background check.  Additionally, the state requires a $15,000 surety bond and I carry an industry leading $100,000 E & O insurance policy.

Question 4

Why do documents need to be notarized?

Accepted Answer

Documents are notarized to defer fraud. An impartial witness (the notary) ensures that the signers of documents are who they say they are and not impostors. The notary makes sure that signer(s) have entered into agreements knowingly and willingly.

Question 5

What should you bring when we meet?

Accepted Answer

All you need to bring with you is a current form of government-issued identification (see list below). The document should also contain the notarial "certificate" verbiage which may appear on the document itself or as an attachment. If the notarial wording is not on the document the signers are responsible for knowing what type of notarization they need. Please note that a Notary Public legally cannot choose which type of certificate the document requires. If the signer does not know what kind of notarization they need, they must consult with the document issuing agency, receiving agency or attorney to help decide which wording will be needed. A notary is not an attorney and cannot give legal advice.

Question 6

What forms of identification does a Notary accept?

Accepted Answer

A valid photo identification card is required by each signer, in order for a document to be notarized. One of the following will do as long as it is current or has been issued within the past 5 years:
 
a. State issued driver's license or identification card
b. U.S. passport
c. Foreign passport
d. U.S. military identification card (with a photograph, physical description of the person, signature of the person, and an identifying number.)
e. Driver’s license officially issued in Mexico or Canada
f. Inmate ID card issued by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (for inmates in custody only)  
g. Any form of inmate identification issued by a sheriff's department, if the inmate is in custody in a local detention facility
h. An employee ID card issued by an agency or office of the State of California, or an agency or office of a city, county, or city and county in California
i. A valid consular identification document issued by a consulate from the applicant's country of citizenship
j. An ID card issued by a federally recognized tribal government
 
Acceptable ID's generally have the following characteristics:
·         Government issued
·         Photo
·         Physical description (not required in passports)
·         Signature
·         Identification or Serial number
·         Expiration date

Question 7

Can the doucment be signed prior to my meeting with the Notary?

Accepted Answer

It depends. A document with jurat wording (typically an oath or affirmation) MUST be signed in front of the notary. Documents with acknowledgment wording require only that the signer appear before the notary. They can be signed beforehand. If in doubt, wait until the notary arrives before signing.

Question 8

Does the name on my I.D. have to match the documents I am notarizing exactly?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. However, the name on the document can be no more than the name on the ID. For example, if the name on the ID is “Jared Mark Allen,” the document can bear the names “Jared Allen,” “Jared M. Allen,” “J.M. Allen,” but not “Jared Edward Mark Allen.”

Question 9

Does notarization mean that a document is “true” or “legal”?

Accepted Answer

No. Notaries are not responsible for the accuracy or legality of documents they notarize. Notaries certify the identity of signers. The signers are responsible for the content of the documents.

Question 10

May a notary notarize a document that is in a foreign language?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a notary may notarize documents written in a foreign language as long as the notary can communicate with the signer without the help of a translator and the document is complete and the notary is able to understand the certificate wording.

SEAN THE NOTARY

Frequently asked questions