Notary Faq's

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As defined in the notary statutes, a notarial act is any act that a notary public of this state is authorized to perform, including taking an acknowledgment, administering an oath or affirmation, executing a jurat or taking a verification upon oath or affirmation, witnessing or attesting a signature, certifying or attesting a copy, and noting a protest of a negotiable instrument.

The law requires a identification card with a photo and signature of the document siger must be on the identification card.

Yes. The statutes require that you see the signer actually sign the document when the notarial wording is that of a JURAT. In the case of an acknowledgment, the person is simply acknowledging (declaring, stating) that he or she signed the document. If you not know the signer, he or she must present identification along with signing your journal.

No, the terms are not interchangeable. A "jurat" is that part of a affidavit in which you, the notary, state that it was sworn to before you."Acknowledgment" means a declaration by a person that he or she executed an instrument for the purposes stated therein and, if the instrument is executed in a representative capacity, that he or she signed the instrument with proper authority and executed it as the act of the person of entity represented and identified therein.

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

Absolutely not. A Notary Public is forbidden from preparing legal documents for others or acting as a legal advisor unless he or she is also an attorney.