Notary

What is a Notary Public?

The Notary Public has the role of identifying signers of a document and transaction. We ensure that they were identified and executed the document personally. The Notary Public establishes the signers identity and authorization to sign the document by using satisfactory evidence as established by the laws of the State of California. The primary for utilized to identify signers are driver license, passport, military ID cards, and other forms of photo government ID. Notaries also play the crucial role of administering oaths and affirmations for affidavits, court proceedings, as well as swearing newly appointed attorneys into the bar.

Careful not to confuse a notary with a lawyer, we do not have legal training nor can we provide legal advice, legal assistance, document preparation, or any other duty outside of the duties of a notary prescribed by the state laws of California.
Simply stated, Notaries verify a signers identity, personally witness the execution of a document, and administer oaths.

What is a Mobile Notary Public? How does that work?

The only difference in a Mobile Notary Public and a Notary Public is they travel to the location of the signer to provide the notarization service. Do not confuse mobile, will online or cellular, mobile Notarization still requires personal presence of both the signer and the Notary Public. We have the flexibility to travel to businesses, homes, hospitals, jail, and other locations during and after business hours.

The traditional process of notarizing a signature would require the signer to locate and travel to the office of a Notary Public during their business hours. Mobile notaries revolutionized the process by providing flexibility, convenience, professionalism, and flexibility to accommodate special requests.

How much can a Notary Public charge?

A Notary Public has the discretion to set their pricing according to many factors such as distance travelled, extra services provided, time of day, etc. The state mandates that the maximum that can be charged per signature is $15. However it does not mandate the amount that can be charged for additional services such as mobile service, printing, and shipping. If a Notary does not provide any extra service, and is not mobile, they are only allowed to charge up to $15 per signature, such as at a UPS store.

How late are you open? Are you available for appointments 24/7?

We are open 24/7 BY APPOINTMENT. If you need a notary at a specific or unusual time, you need to request the appointment ahead of time to ensure our ability to accommodate you. We do not stay up all night waiting for appointment requests, so we cannot guarantee last minute service in the middle of the night if it is not requested ahead of time. During the day, we request any and all appointments that we are able to.

Why get something notarized?

Some documents have the legal requirement of being notarized before they are considered valid, such a when a oath is required prior to execution, or for real estate documents. Many other documents call for notarization, such as trusts, deeds, power of attorney, and affidavits. Some documents are notarized by choice to prove the execution and identity of the parties. In some circumstances in lieu of personal appearance, businesses and entities will request signatures be notarized so they can feel confident the signer was identified properly and personally signed their documents instead of doing so in their presence.

Can I notarize anything I want?

Simply put, almost everything can be notarized. Some documents are not able to be notarized due to lacking the legal notarization requirements implemented by California law.

There are a few basic requirements that need to be present in order to notarize a document. The first and most critical is that the document actually require to be signed by the person requesting the notarization! Items that do not require signatures, such as photographs cannot be notarized, after all notaries duty is to (notarize signatures).
Notaries also cannot notarize documents that are required to be signed by someone other than the individual in front of them, such as school diplomas that need the school officials signature, the student cannot notarize that, only the school can.

Can I be refused service by a Notary Public?

Under certain conditions are notary may refuse to notarize for a member of the public. If the individual cannot meet the requirements for identification, or the document is not legally able to be notarized, then the notary must decline. If the person is unable or unwilling to submit payment in exchange for notarization, the notary is not obligated to provide free services.

If you meet all requirements, and offer payment for the services, the notary public is legally obligated to provide their services. A Notary serves the public, and can be fined and their commission revoked for refusing to execute their duties as a public servant

Are you a Notario Publico?

No! While the direct translation to Spanish is Notario Publico, California notaries are not “Notario Publicos”. The duty of such title is similar to a lawyer, and is not related to the role and duties of a California Notary.

Do not confuse the two, they are two separate titles and have completely different duties. It is in-fact illegal for a Notary Public to refer to themselves as a Notario Publico in California.