What is a notary public?
A notary public is a person licensed or commissioned by a state government.
What does a notary do?
A notary public verifies your identity and witnesses your signature on important documents. The most common function of a notary public is to prevent fraud.
These documents include:
- Estates
- Deeds
- Powers of attorney
- Affidavits
- Licenses
- Contracts
- Loan documents
- Trusts
What does it mean to have an application notarized?
You present your government-issued photo identification to the notary. The notary verifies your identification and watches you sign and date the application. Then, the notary marks the application with a stamp (or a “seal”) and signs the application. The notary’s signature and stamp show that your signature matches your photo ID, and that you signed the application willingly. A notarized application helps vital records offices know that your signature is valid.
Notaries are not responsible for the accuracy of the information you put on your application.