What Is a Notary?
Do you have a document that needs to be notarized, and you’re not sure how to do that? This article will explain:
- What a notary is.
- How to find a notary.
- What to bring.
What is a notary?
A notary is someone who confirms important documents are signed correctly, usually by watching them being signed.
After everyone signs the document, they put a stamp on the document to certify that they witnessed the signing. Then they make a record in their notary book.
If someone later questions whether the document is real or when it was signed, the notary's stamp and journal prove it was done properly.
Where can I find a notary?
These are some places that often have a notary:
- Banks and credit unions: Many banks provide free notary services to customers. Some will notarize documents if you are not a customer of that bank for a fee.
- Shipping and office stores: Many locations of stores like The UPS Store and FedEx Office offer notary services.
- Public libraries: Some libraries have a notary on staff or host notary services on certain days.
- Mobile notaries: A mobile notary can travel to a person's home, workplace, hospital, or another location, usually for an additional travel fee.
- Remote notary: Oregon allows documents to be notarized online in certain situations. Notaries can charge more for this.
Usually a notary can’t charge more than $10 per document. But a notary can charge more to travel to you or notarize a document online. Some notaries are free.
What do I bring when I see a notary?
You want to make sure you are prepared when you meet with a notary. Bring:
- A government-issued ID like a driver’s license.
- The document you need notarized.
Frequently Asked Questions
When you have a document notarized, the notary will:
- Look at your identification.
- Tell you where to sign.
- Stamp the document to prove it was notarized.
They'll also record your information in their notary journal. This creates a permanent record, so if anyone questions the document later, there's proof it was notarized properly.
Anyone can become a notary. You don’t need a degree. To become a notary, you just need to complete a short training and sign an oath through the Oregon Secretary of State.
You can find more specific information about how someone becomes a notary at the Secretary of State’s website.
If you're dealing with an immigration case, you might hear warnings about "notarios." This matters because sometimes people who call themselves notarios offer to give you legal advice and represent you in your legal case, even though they are not lawyers.
However, you will not hurt your immigration case if you use a notary to notarize a document.
You can find more information about how to avoid immigration scams in this article.