Resource: What You Need To Know

Know What Type of Notarization You Need

As the signer, you must tell the Notary what type of notarization you need. Notaries can describe what the primary notarial acts are, but they cannot recommend one over another. It's illegal for a Notary Public to give advice like this unless they are also a licensed attorney. When in doubt, contact the person who drafted/gave you the document to be notarized OR the agency receiving the notarized document. 

Make Sure the Document is Complete

Generally, a document must be 100% complete for a Notary to perform a notarization. Make sure there aren't any blank spaces on your document before you meet with a Notary because that could make the document more susceptible to fraud. For example, an empty line for critical date or interest rate information on a loan document could cause serious trouble for the borrower if the information is added after the form is notarized.

Bring Acceptable Identification

The primary duty of a Notary Public is to verify your identity as the document signer. The most common way they determine that you are who you say you are, is by checking state-issued identification documents, like driver's licenses and passports. Notaries need to see a form of identification that meets requirements set by state law, so make sure you have acceptable ID for notarization ahead of time.

Ensure the Name on Your ID Matches the Name on Your Document

If you've recently changed your legal name due to marriage, divorce or other reasons, be sure that the ID you bring to the notarization matches your name shown on the document. It must match. If your name is hyphenated (for example), on your ID and the document does not list your hyphenated name. The document must be corrected prior to notarization.