Ensuring trust and confidence with your legal transactions

WHAT IS A NOTARIZATION: Notaries act as government agents to witness in-person and certify the authenticity of signatures to legal documents. The Notary also makes sure that signers enter into agreements knowingly and willingly. A notary's personal signature and state-commissioned seal are required to authenticate the signature on your letter or legal document; which is also why notarizations must occur in person. This is an official fraud-deterrent process that assures the parties of a transaction, that the signer is the person named in the document, and that it can be trusted. A notarization increases confidence that a document was actually signed by the parties involved. DON'T SIGN YOUR DOCUMENT YET: For a Notary Public to notarize your signature, you must sign it in the physical presence of the Notary. Please wait until the Notary tells you to sign, as you may need to swear an oath first. The most common mistake is customers bringing documents already signed.  GOOD TO KNOW: You must bring proper ID that is not expired; otherwise your document cannot be notarized (you will still have to pay for the Notary's travel time). See ID list here.  All signers MUST speak English. I speak a little Spanish and French as well, but not fluently. It is illegal for a California Notary Public to use a translator during the notarization process. The Notary does not verify the accuracy or validity of the document; only that the signature is from the named person.  A Notary Public is not a Notario Publico. (A highly trained legal professional in Hispanic countries.)​