Learn How a Document Gets Notarized

Whether you’re writing a will, a trust, an affidavit, or any other document, a notary should notarize them. How can you notarize a document? This article will answer this and other questions you may have about finding a notary, having a notarized signature, and using online notary services.

What Is Notarization?

More than 1.25 billion documents get notarized each year in the U.S. This means that the documents get certified by a notary public and become legitimate. To notarize a document, a notary does the following:

• Verify your identity—A notary must identify all parties who are signing a document, e.g., by asking for their IDs
• Check for coercion—Any sign of coercion or that you’re not signing out of free will may make a notary reject notarizing your document
• Determine whether you’re of sound mind—The signers mustn’t be drunk, heavily medicated, or mentally unstable
• Witness the signing—A notary must be present during the document signing to be able to officially notarize the document
• Add their seal and signature—Notaries add a stamp (of approval) and sign your document when they determine everything is in order

Most states require notaries to pass notary tests to prove their knowledge of state-specific notary laws and become licensed notaries. Although a qualified notary will stand behind the validity of your signed document, they don’t have to read it. This means that even if a document is notarized, it might be meaningless. Before you go about notarizing your document, turn to DoNotPay’s guides on writing numerous documents.

Why Is It Important To Get a Document Notarized?

Even if notarizing your document isn’t required, you should consider getting it notarized to officially verify its validity. When someone questions the authenticity of a document, a notary signature proves it is indeed a legitimate document.

Where Can I Get Something Notarized?

You can notarize a document by:

1. Finding a notary
2. Using online notary services
3. Using DoNotPay

Many business and financial institutions also offer notary services, such as banks (e.g., Wells Fargo and Bank of America), the United Parcel Service (UPS), office supply stores, and car dealers.

How To Get Something Notarized on Your Own

If you want to deal with notarization on your own, you’ll probably google “notary” and your location. You can skip that and check out our articles on notarizing in different states, such as Ohio, Maryland, New York, California, and Pennsylvania.

The notarization process usually goes like this:

1. Preparing the documents you need to notarize
2. Having your ID or passport ready
3. Finding a notary
4. Setting up an in-person appointment with a notary and the other signing parties
5. Paying the notary cost
6. Proving your identity
7. Signing the document
8. Receiving a notary signature and stamp

If you want to avoid an unnecessarily long process and opt for an online notary, you should check whether this option is valid for your specific document and in your state. Online notarization follows the same steps as the in-person one, except the notary witnesses the signing over video.

Use DoNotPay To Notarize Documents

You can count on DoNotPay for an effortless and inexpensive online notarization. Here’s how it works:

1. Open DoNotPay in any web browser
2. Navigate to the Notarize Any Document feature
3. Upload the document you need to get notarized
4. Enter your email address

After these short steps, we’ll send you a link via email so that you can make an online appointment with a notary at your convenience. Remember not to sign your document before the appointment because the notary needs to witness it.

The Perks of Notarizing With DoNotPay

Using DoNotPay to get any document notarized comes with many perks, including:

• Not looking for a notary by yourself
• Getting documents notarized from the comfort of your home
• Setting up a notary appointment on any device
• Getting notary services at an affordable monthly fee which gives you access to all DoNotPay features
• Using DoNotPay’s Documents feature, which is integrated with the Notarize Any Document one

Not only can we help you notarize a document, but we can also draw it up and fax it to the other party. Here’s a list of various documents you can draft with our app:

All Your Document Notarization Questions Answered

Before you notarize your document, you may wonder or be confused about certain details. You can rely on our articles to answer your questions, such as:

• What is a mobile notary?
• What is a notary acknowledgment?
• Who is a notary signing agent?
• Can you write a will and get it notarized?

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