Are you wondering which types of organizations to target when spreading the word about your notary business? After all, there are plenty of businesses that need notaries on a regular basis, but others that might be less interested.
Essentially, any company that deals with legal transactions or documents of any kind will need notary services every now and then. Here are a few types of businesses most likely to require your services.
Real Estate Agencies
There are a great many legal documents involved in real estate transactions. This is true, especially if the buyer is taking out a mortgage. That’s good news for you as a notary—in most states, your services will be required by law.
In a real estate transaction, you’ll serve as an impartial witness. It will also be your responsibility to check and affirm the signatures of all the parties involved. The duties may vary from state to state, so ensure you know what’s expected of you in these cases.
Law Firms
It goes without saying that many legal documents require notarization. Paperwork granting power of attorney, trust documents, and wills are a few examples.
Many lawyers try to hire paralegals who are already commissioned notaries. That way, the employee can add notarization duties to their list of regular tasks. But if no one in-house can do it, the attorneys must commission notary services.
Banks, Mortgage Lenders, and Other Financial Institutions
As we pointed out, loan and mortgage documents require signature verification. The same goes for other financial agreements as well. That means financial institutions will need notary services on a regular basis.
It was common for banks to employ on-staff notaries to provide free services to their customers (sometimes even walk-ins). However, with the rise of online banking, this practice is rare. This works out well if there are a lot of banks in your area constantly seeking outside help when notarizing documents.
Healthcare Providers
You might not think of medical offices as businesses that need notaries. But the truth is, any business that deals with legal documents needs to have a notary on call.
In addition to power of attorney documents, certain medical consent forms must also be certified. Otherwise, it would be difficult to prove whether or not the patient consented to the transfer of power—or the medical procedure itself.
Government Agencies
Here’s a partial list of government documents that might require notarization:
- Immigration forms
- Oaths
- Affadavits
It’s always important to avoid the pitfalls of a forged signature notarized document, but you must be careful when dealing with government documents. Always ensure the person signing the document has the proper identification, and check all the dates and sections of the forms carefully before notarizing.
Employment Agencies
Some employers require drug tests and background checks before they make an official job offer. In these cases, the employment agency might enlist a notary to verify those documents to cover all their legal bases.
Small Businesses
Just because a company is small doesn’t mean it’s entirely self-sufficient. Many businesses that need notaries are very small, like mom-and-pops. Even the smallest businesses have contracts and other agreements that require notarizations occasionally. So get out there and spread the word about your notary business today!
