How to Find a Notary Public to Notarize Documents

Notary public is a turn many people are unfamiliar with, but what are they really? A notary public is a public official that has been given the right to “administer oaths and affirmations” by the state.

They are often required when someone needs sign a document and be able to provide proof of your signing, you would ask a notary to be a witness.

Keep reading below if you want to learn about how to find a Notary Public!

Notarized Documents

A notarized document is a document that has been certified by a notary public. The notary public is an official who verifies the identities of everybody signing the document, witnesses the signatures, and marks the document with a stamp.

A notary is supposed to ensure that all signatures on a document are legitimate.

• Identity verification:
  • A notary requires identification from anybody signing a document and records details about the identification documents each individual provides.
• Willing signers:
  • Notaries look for signs of coercion. Even if you don’t like what’s in a document, are you signing on your own free will, or is somebody forcing you to sign?
• Capable of sound decisions:
  • A notary should verify that signers are in a condition where they can truly understand what they’re signing. If an individual is intoxicated, medicated, or unable to understand what’s happening for any reason, the notary cannot notarize the document.

Where to Find a Notary Public

Knowing where to find a notary public is important, below is a list on where you could:

• Your Company:
  • Generally administrative assistants can notarize documents and will likely do it for free, though some will charge a few dollars to get it done.
• Bank:
  • Your bank generally provides notaries as well as medallion guarantees. They are similar to notary public’s except with more stringent requirements.
• Pharmacy:
  • Many pharmacies, for example Walgreens/CVS, may offer notary services too. Independent pharmacies are more likely to have them over a CVS.
• Library: 
  • Public libraries may have a notary and it might even be for free or for a very low cost. However not every library offers this and they may only offer it on certain days.
• AAA:
  • AAA branches usually offer these for free as a member benefit for free (included in your membership) and to non-members for a fee.
• UPS Store:
  • While not common knowledge, most UPS store owners are notaries.
• Friends:
  • Asking a friend is always an option, if you know any lawyers many of them are notaries.
• Search Online:
  • Worst comes to worst you can always search online!

Author’s Verdict

Making sure how to find a notary is important, making sure important or significant agreements are notarized so that nothing bad happens to your important deals.

Also be sure to check out our own lists of bank promotions and CD tables!