| Q. |
What is a Notary
Public ? |
| A. |
The court
defines a notary public as a “public
ministerial officer”, an agent for
the state, and a witness of notarial writing
and signatures. A No Public is an honest,
moral and responsible member of our society.
They are appointed by the office of the
Secretary of State to witness by an official
seal and written acknowledgement, or jurat,
the signing of documents as well as administer
oath.
|
| Q. |
Why are documents notarized
? |
| A. |
To deter
fraud. An impartial witness ( the notary
) ensures that the signer of documents are
who they say they are and not impostors.
The notary make sure that signers have entered
into agreements knowingly and willingly.
|
| Q. |
Why use a Signing Agent? |
| A. |
Why must
your clients take a day off work to come
to your office, a loan officers office,
a title company, or a bank to sign a set
of loan papers? Using a Signing Agent (a
Mobile Notary Public who specializes in
loan executions to meet with your clients
at their convenience will make the transaction
much smoother. Call on a Signing Agent who
will travel to your clients home, office,
or any other location, at the time of your
choice or your clients choice to sign their
loan papers.
|
| Q. |
May any document be notarized? |
| A. |
For a document to be notarized, it must
contain:
-
Text committing
the signer in some way
-
An original signature
(not a photocopy) of the document signer
-
A notarial "certificate"
which may appear on the document itself
or on an attachment.
The Notary fills in the
certificate, signs it, then applies his
or her seal to complete the notarization.
|
| Q. |
How does a Notary identify a
signer? |
| A. |
Generally,
the Notary will ask to see a current identification
document that has a photograph, physical
description and a signature. A driver's
license, military or passport will usually
be acceptable. Each signer must either present
current photo ID such as drivers license,
State ID, or passport issued within the
last 5 years; or have two other persons
present who will swear to the signer's identity,
each of whom has a good current photo ID
|
| Q. |
What Identification is Required
For Notarizations? |
| A. |
Each signer must either present a valid
and current photo ID such as:
-
Current California
ID (issued within the last 5 years)
-
US Military identification
card (issued within the last 5 years)
-
Current Passport.
(Non-US passports must have been stamped
by the INS)
If none of the above Identification is
available, two additional persons who do
have one of the above documents may be present
who will swear to the signer's identity.
|
| Q. |
Does notarization
mean that a document is "true"
or "legal" ? |
| A. |
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.
|
| Q. |
How may I pay? |
| A. |
We accept:
|
| |
- Cash
- Check
- Money Order
- 2checkout.com
- Visa
|
- MasterCard
- American Express
- Discover
- ECheck
|
