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December 16, 2011

Notary FAQ based on recent search queries

Filed under: Public Interest — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 12:17 am

Here are some interesting and random FAQ type questions based on search queries made to our blog.
 
Q. How do I know if the notary can be trusted?
A. Notaries are screened by their respective states.  Screening in California is more rigorous and involved live scan fingerprints, and checks with the FBI and DOJ, while many states are more lackidasical. Some notaries are crooked in what they do, but I have never heard of a notary engaging in an act of fraud against their client.  Keep in mind that notaries do not keep possession of documents that they notarize, so after a client is gone, there is not much fraud that they could engage in against a client.  More common frauds involve helping a client falsify a date on a document or notary certificate.  A less common but very serious fraudulent act might include notarizing a forged signature on a deed effecting real property.  If you are so paranoid, what do you think this notary is going to do to you?
 
Carelessness and incompetence is 50x as likely to harm you than fraud
The real danger with notaries is more likely to do with carelessness and poor training more than issues to deal with trust.  More than 50% of notaries just simply don’t know what they are doing  and don’t know their state notary laws well enough to handle even the simplest types of notarizations.
 
If you want to check up on a notary, you can ask them for references and try to find out how much notary work they do, which is still not much of an indication of competency.  Also, check the notary’s ID to make sure they are the same person whose name is on the notary seal!
 
Q. Can I make a living being a notary?
A. Being a notary is at best a part time activity which you squeeze in to all of the other things which you are hopefully busy doing.  A store owner can notarize for clients, as can a real estate broker.  Mobile notaries go and do loan signings, but usually have other on call jobs (or full time day jobs) that they do.
 
Q. Can you amend a notarized document after it has been notarized.
A.  I have three answers for this question:  (1) No (2) Never (3) No way, buddy.  If you need to change or amend the document, then draft it how you want it, sign it, and have it notarized all over again. Yes, that will cost you more, but that is the only legal way to do what you want to do.
 
Q.  How do you know if someone is a fake notary?
A.  Check their identification to see if it matches the name on the notary seal.  It is a common fraud for people in offices to illegally “borrow” their colleagues notary seal. Usually they do this to save time, and no harm is mean, but they could go to jail for this as it is illegal!   Also, make sure their notary seal hasn’t expired.  If you really think that the notary is fake, then contact the Secretary of State’s (Department of State, Secretary of Commonwealth) Notary Division and ask if that “fake notary” is a real notary!

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I make mistakes too! – A notary certificate that needed amending
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3639

How much does a Notary cost in 2019?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21308

Background Screening for Notaries
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2418

General Notary Public Information
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20075

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December 13, 2011

Can a notary help draft documents?

Filed under: Legal Issues — Tags: , , — admin @ 12:01 am

Can a notary public help drafting documents?
 
Notaries are discouraged from engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. The definition of unauthorized practice of law differs from state to state.  However, as a general rule, assisting someone in drafting a document that will be used in court, or submitted to a judge, or used for any legal purpose would be unauthorized practice of law, or giving legal advice. A Florida notary should not draft any type of document for any client, whether the document is of a legal nature or not because rules are tighter there.  New York notaries should be on guard too as standards for unauthorized practice of law are enforced more stringently there. 
 
But, my client needs my help drafting this document
You need to tell the client that it is up to them and their attorney to draft their document, or to fill out their power of attorney form.  There are standardized power of attorney forms that are sold in office supply stores.  Notaries should not notarize a document with blanks in it, however, they should also not assist in filling in those blanks or even putting lines through the blanks.
 
What if I arrive at a job and the document hasn’t been written yet?
If you are a MOBILE NOTARY and you travel to homes, businesses, hospitals, etc., it is up to you to double check with your clients to make sure they have their documents all filled out and ready. You should make sure their identification is ready too.  Most states require identification not only for Acknowledgments, but also for Jurats too!  Don’t get in your car until the documents and identification documents are all in order. 
 
Can a notary witness a signature on draft documents?
A notary can witness a signature on any document if you like.  However, if you have a notary notarize a document which is going to have a new draft printed out after the fact, the NEW version of the document would have to be notarized all over again if it is to be notarized.  You can not change wording or pages in a document which has already been notarized.

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Signing agent best practices
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4315

Protecting yourself with a contract
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2593

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December 7, 2011

Has anyone failed the notary exam?

Filed under: Become a Notary,SEO — Tags: , , — admin @ 10:01 pm

Has anyone failed the notary exam? 

Each different state has a different notary application and different standards for who can become a notary. Generally you need to be a legal resident of the state in question, or at least working in that state.  You need to be 18 years of age or older as well, and not be a felon.  But, testing standards vary state to state. But, you might ask, “What do I do if I fail the notary exam?”
 
Louisiana notary exam…
Louisiana has a tough test, and weird commission standards. You are commissioned for life there, but you can only work in one Parish, unless you have a special commission that allows you to work in several reciprocal Parishes (how complicated).  Most states allow statewide jurisdiction.
 
California notary exam… 
The California test used to be reasonably passable, but in recent years, it has become tougher and tougher and the result is that fewer people are becoming notaries.  There is a proctored examination and it is timed as well. Good luck and make sure to take the six hour required course from a state approved vendor
 
New York notary exam..
New York also has a notary exam.  I have heard that it is not as hard as California’s, but you should study hard in any case.
 
Failing the test?
If you fail your state’s notary exam, each state has different rules for when you can take it again.  BTW, many states don’t have a notary exam to begin with, but they should, because there is a lot to know about this line of work, and the states should make sure that people know what they are doing.  Even people who pass the test still don’t have a clue how to deal with many daily and practical situations.  Most states will allow you to take the exam again.  The main point is to study hard and review a lot before attempting the test.  Also, take a seminar, even if you have to take it twice.  You will absorb what you were taught there, and need that knowledge for the life of your commission. 
 
Is there a fee for taking the exam again?
Most if not all states will want to charge you and make you fill out more paperwork to take the notary exam another time.  So, find out how they want you to make your check out, and where to go.

You might also like:

Why notaries don’t last
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4087

Notaries who failed the California notary exam
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21433

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December 6, 2011

Can I be a Maryland notary if I live in DC?

Filed under: Other States — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 11:59 am

Can I be a Maryland Notary if I live in DC?

Notary Public DC
It is very common for Maryland residents to have a Washington DC Notary Public commission and be a Notary Public in DC. It is also common for Washington DC residents to become a Maryland notary public.  Virginia notaries also commonly get dual commissioned in Washington DC.  Just contact the state notary division that you want to apply to and ask them what their conditions are for applying for a notary public commission.  It’s common for a state to require you to be working or doing some type of business in their state.  However, offering a mobile notary service to their state / territory / district is a type of business, so you should be acceptable.
 
Notary Public Maryland
Here is the contact information for the Maryland notary public division
http://www.sos.state.md.us/Notary/Notary.aspx

 
Notary Public Virginia
Here is the contact information for the Virginia notary public division.
http://www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/Notary/notary.cfm?
 
Find a mobile notary in DC! 
Just visit the advanced search page on www.123notary.com and you will have many notaries to choose from!

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December 3, 2011

New York Notary income is the highest!

Filed under: New York Notary — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 3:23 am

New York Notary Income is one of the highest in the country. 

Notary Public NYC:
If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.
There is a lot of truth to this statement, especially in the notary profession.  Manhattan notaries are the best educated and most aggressive in the nation.  The notary with the most reviews on his profile is a New York Notary Public in NYC. The notary with the highest amount of clicks is also an NYC Notary Public (the same person by chance).  It is not a coincidence that the notary with the most reviews also gets the most clicks and the most jobs.  If you don’t have reviews, nobody wants to hire you, so the jobs go to people who are already getting the most jobs. It’s feast or famine and the notaries in NYC understand this. 
 
Notary Public New York: More elite certified notaries.
If you look on our NYC Notary search results, you will see more elite certified members than on any other page in the country.  There seems to be a greater drive to excel in Manhattan than anywhere else in the world.  Manhattan is a place where you have to fight just to cross the street, so trying harder is just a part of life for NYC notaries.  Life is a jungle over there.
 
More clicks
Notaries in Manhattan are getting more than triple the national average for clicks per capita.  If you are in Iowa and not getting enough jobs, consider moving to Manhattan. There is a lot of work to go around there.  Surprisingly, there are fewer notaries per capita in New York City than in most other cities.  I am not sure why this is.  Getting around by car is harder in New York City than in any other metro area, and that might be part of the reason.  But, you can take a cab to your notary appointment or take the subway — it’s not a crime.  Just put some mace in your notary carry all bag, you might need it if you go out at night!
 
$2 per signature, how do you make money?
If you are efficient and fast, $2 per signature is not bad. Just make sure your clients don’t ramble and just produce a document and an ID and are ready to sign your journal. $2 is not enough to listen to someone’s life story.  Fortunately for the notaries in NYC, New Yorkers talk faster (more words per minute) than other parts of the country, and have less time to jabber, so the process should be quick unless you get someone retired.  But, you can make a mint in travel fees. There is no restriction on travel fees, so if someone will pay you $60 to go to their office, and $120 to go to a jail, then do it.  Reliable notaries are worth this fee to many, and you will get many repeat clients.

Please also visit:

How much should a mobile notary get paid?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15872

How much pay do you merit as a signing agent?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19188

Notary Public NYC search results page

New York State Notary search results page

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December 2, 2011

Contact information for state notary divisions 2011 & 2012

Filed under: (5) State specific — Tags: , , , , , , , , — admin @ 6:21 am

Contact information for state notary divisions.
 
We already have a page on 123notary.com with contact information for all notary divisions in all states plus Washington DC. However, we noticed that the information keeps changing, and it is hard to keep up with my webmasters to keep the changes up to date.  So, the beauty of blogging is that I can edit information when I want, or create a new list altogether!  So, here is my late 2011 list of notary divisions with current web addresses, etc.
 
Alabama Secretary of State
http://www.sos.state.al.us/adminservices/notarypublic.aspx
334-242-7200
State Capitol Building – Suite S-105
600 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36103

Alaska Lieutenant Governor
http://ltgov.alaska.gov/treadwell/notaries.html
907-465-3509
There is no training or testing at this time – however a training course is recommended.
notary@alaska.gov
 
Arizona Department of State – Office of the Secretary of State
http://azsos.gov/business_Services/notary/
(602) 542-4285
Capitol Executive Tower, 7th Floor
1700 West Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007-2888
 
Arkansas Secretary of State Notary Public Division
http://www.sos.arkansas.gov/BCS/Pages/notaryPublic.aspx
501-682-1010
State Capitol, RM 256
Little Rock, AR 72201

California Secretary of State Notary Division
http://www.sos.ca.gov/business/notary/
(916) 653-3595
1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814

Colorado Secretary of State
http://www.sos.state.co.us/
303-894-2200 & press 2
Colorado Department of State
1700 Broadway
Denver, CO 80290
 
Connecticut Secretary of the State
http://www.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?a=3184&q=392266
860-509-6003
860-509-6002
30 Trinity Street, Hartford, CT 06106

Delaware – State of Delaware Notary Public
http://notary.delaware.gov/
302-739-4111
notary@delaware.gov
 
District of Columbia: Office of the Secretary
Washington DC Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications
http://os.dc.gov/os/cwp/view,a,1207,q,522462,osNav,%7C31374%7C.asp
(202) 727-3117
441 4th Street, NW
Room 810S
Washington, DC 20001
 
Florida Department of State Division of Corporations Apostille Certification
http://notaries.dos.state.fl.us/
(850) 488-7146
P.O. Box 6800
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6800
 
Georgia Secretary of State Notary Public & Document Certification
http://www.sos.ga.gov/administration/notary.htm
(404) 327-6023
1875 Century Boulevard
Suite 100
Atlanta, Georgia 30345

Hawaii Department of the Attorney General: Notaries Public
http://hawaii.gov/ag/notary/
(808) 586-1218
425 Queen Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Hours of Operation: 7:45am to 12:00pm Monday to Friday
 
Idaho Secretary of State: Notaries, Apostilles and Authentications
http://www.sos.idaho.gov/notary/npindex.htm
(208) 332-2810
dfarnsworth@sos.idaho.gov
Secretary of State
PO Box 83720
450 N 4th Street
Boise ID 83720-0080
 
Illinois Secretary of State Notary Division
http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/index/notary/home.html
1-800 252-8980
213 State Capitol
Springfield, IL 62756
 
Indiana Secretary of State Business Services Division: Notary
http://www.in.gov/sos/business/2378.htm
317-232-6581
302 W. Washington Street Room E018
Indianapolis, IN 46204
 
Iowa Secretary of State
http://www.sos.state.ia.us/notaries/index.html
515-281-8993
sos@sos.state.ia.us
1007 East Grand Avenue
Room 105, State Capitol
Des Moines, IA 50319

Kansas: State of Kansas Office of the Secretary of State
http://www.kssos.org/business/business_notary.html
(785) 296-4564
Kansas Secretary of State
Memorial Hall, 1st Floor
120 SW 10th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66612-1594

Kentucky Secretary of State Administrative Services: Overview of Notaries
http://www.sos.ky.gov/adminservices/notaries/
(502) 564-3490
Office of the Secretary of State
Notary Branch
PO Box 821
700 Capital Avenue, Suite 158
Frankfort, KY  40601
 
Louisiana Secretary of State: Louisiana Notary Division
http://www.sos.la.gov/tabid/70/Default.aspx
225.922.0507
8585 Archives Ave.
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Maine Department of the Secretary of State Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions
http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/notary/
207-624-7736
cec.notaries@maine.gov
Burton Cross Building
111 Sewall St., 4th Floor
 
Maryland Office of the Secretary of State: Maryland Notary Division
http://www.sos.state.md.us/Notary/Notary.aspx
410-974-5521
16 Francis Street,
Annapolis, MD 21401
 
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division: Notary Public Information
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/prenot/notidx.htm
617-725-4016
617-727-2832
pre@sec.state.ma.usSecretary of the Commonwealth
Public Records Division
McCormack Building, Room 1719
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108

Michigan Department of State: Notary & Document Certification
http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-15049-25634–,00.html
(888) 767-6424
Michigan Department of State,
Lansing, MI 48918
 
Minnesota Secretary of State Notary Division
http://www.sos.state.mn.us/
651-296-2803
60 Empire Drive, Suite 100
St Paul, MN  55103
 
Mississippi Secretary of State Business Services: Notary Public
http://www.sos.state.ms.us/busserv/notaries/NotaryFAQs.asp
Sorry, but there was no contact information on their site!
 
Missouri Secretary of State Business Services: Notary Public
http://www.sos.mo.gov/business/commissions/pubs/notary/
(573) 751-4936
600 West Main Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101
 
Montana Notary Division
http://sos.mt.gov/notary/Become_Notary.asp
(406) 444-5379
sosnotary@mt.gov
1236 6th Avenue
Helena, MT 59601

Nebraska Secretary of State Business Services: Notary Public
http://www.sos.ne.gov/business/notary/index.html
(402) 471-2558
State Capitol, Room 1301,
Lincoln, NE 68509

New Hampshire Secretary of State Notary Public Division
http://www.sos.nh.gov/notary.html
603-271-3242
State House Room 204, 
Concord, NH 03301
 
New Jersey Secretary of the Treasury: Notary Public
http://www.nj.gov/treasury/revenue/dcr/programs/notary.shtml
Division of Revenue, Notary Public Unit ,
PO Box 452,
Trenton, NJ 08646
 
New Mexico Secretary of State Notary Division
http://www.sos.state.nm.us/sos-notary.html
505)-827-3600
Secretary of State,
State Capitol North, Suite 300,
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501

New York Department of State
http://www.dos.state.ny.us/licensing/
(518) 474-4429
Department of State, Albany Location:
One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Ave
Albany, NY 12231-0001
 
North Carolina Notary Division
http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/notary/
919-807-2219
North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State
P.O. Box 29626
Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0626

North Dakota Notary Division
http://www.nd.gov/sos/notaryserv/
701-328-2900
Secretary of State
State of North Dakota
600 E Boulevard Ave Dept 108, 1st Floor
Bismarck ND 58505-0500
 
Ohio Notary Division
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/recordsIndexes/Notary.aspx
614-644-4559
Ohio Secretary of State
180 E. Broad St., Suite 103
Columbus, OH 43215

Oklahoma Notary Division
https://www.sos.ok.gov/notary/default.aspx
405-521-2516
Notary Public services
Secretary of State
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd, Room 101
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4897
 
Oregon Notary Division
http://www.filinginoregon.com/pages/notary/
503-986-2200
Public Service Building 255 Capitol Street NE Suite 151
Salem, Oregon 
Pennsylvania
http://www.dgs.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/notaries/12609
717-787-5280
Bureau of Commissions, Elections and Legislation
Division of Legislation and Notaries
210 North Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120

 
Rhode Island Notary Division
http://sos.ri.gov/business/notary/
401-222-3040
148 West River Street
Providence, RI 02904-2615
 
South Carolina Notary Division
http://www.scsos.com/notaries
1205 Pendleton Street Suite 525
Columbia, SC 29201
 
South Dakota Notary Division
http://apps.sd.gov/applications/ST12ODRS/aspx/frmNotaryViewList.aspx
605-773-3537
 
Tennessee Notary Division
http://www.tn.gov/sos/bus_svc/notary.htm
615-741-3699
Division of Business Services
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, Snodgrass Tower, 6th Floor
Nashville, TN 37243

Texas Notary Division
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/statdoc/edinfo.shtml
512-463-5705
Secretary of State, Notary Public Unit, P.O. Box 13375,
Austin, Texas 78711-3375
 
Utah Notary Division
http://notary.utah.gov/
801-538-1041
Utah State Capitol, Notary Office, Suite 220,
Salt Lake City, UT 84114
 
Vermont Notary Division
http://vermont-archives.org/notary/
802-828-3287
Secretary’s Office
128 State Street
Montpelier, VT  05633-1101

Virginia Notary Division
http://www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/Notary/notary.cfm?CFID=10410718&CFTOKEN=e9bab8f65217a483-C5004CEA-B189-F028-4D9FC1D229C03EBD
804-692-2536
Jennifer Crown, Notary Director
Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth
P.O. Box 1795
Richmond, Virginia 23218-1795

Washington State Notary Division
http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/notary/nrequirements.html
360-664-1550
405 Black Lake Blvd SW
Olympia, WA 98502

West Virginia Notary Division
http://www.sos.wv.gov/business-licensing/notaries/Pages/default.aspx
 
Wisconsin Notary Division
http://www.sos.state.wi.us/
608-266-8888, then press 3
The Office of the Secretary of State
P.O. Box 7848
Madison, WI 53707 – 7848

Wyoming Notary Division
http://soswy.state.wy.us/AdminServices/NotariesDuties.aspx
307-777-5335
State Capitol Building
200 West 24th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0020

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How do you let people know you are a notary?

Filed under: Marketing Articles — Tags: , — admin @ 6:15 am

How do you get the word out that you are a notary public? 

Notaries get their work from advertising in the yellow pages, online, word of mouth, networking, and from people you know or work with.  So, how do you get the word out that you are a notary and want to offer your services to others?
 
Pass out the cards!
You can walk around your neighborhood and pass out business cards to people in neighboring businesses. They will like the fact that they recognize you and that you are walking distance.  They might receive regular inquiries from walk-ins that need a notary public, and now, they will know where to refer those people!
 
Nursing homes are a great place!
Once again, pass out your business cards to the relatives of the patients at convelescent homes.  They will need you sooner than you think. Give the staff your card too.
 
Jails and bailbonds people need notaries too!
The people in the waiting rooms of jails might need a notary public faster than you can say, “lockdown”.  Bailbonds people generally have their own in-house notary, but they are out sick or quit from time to time.
 
Advertise online
123notary.com is a great place to advertise your mobile notary services. We train people how to get into this line of work. It is not hard to get in if you are serious!
 
Yellow pages
This is expensive, but if you are serious about getting mobile notary work, a yellow page ad could get you business for years to come. People tend to keep these books around for years.  Online yellow pages sometimes work and sometimes don’t.  You really have to try these yellow pages one by one to see what works and what doesn’t.

You might also like:

Business cards for mobile notaries – what to put on them, who to give them to, etc.

Everything you need to know about notary advertising

What tasks can you do which are worth $1000 per minute?

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How much can a notary charge in 2014 / 2015?

Filed under: Notary Fees & Pricing,Popular on Twitter 2011,SEO,Ultra-Popular — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 6:09 am

How much can a notary charge for a …

Q. How much can a notary charge for a witness signature?
A. The notary can charge whatever your state’s maximum notary fee is if you are notarizing a signature of a witness. Please visit our find a notary page, and then look up your state.
http://www.123notary.com/find-a-notary-public.asp

Q. How much can a notary charge for travel?
A. Most states allow a notary to charge whatever the client will pay for travel, but a handful of states have travel fee restrictions such as New Hampshire, Arizona, and a few other states. Please visit
http://www.123notary.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4231

Q. How much can a notary charge for a copy of a journal entry?
A. In California, 30 cents per journal entry. However please visit the state notary division website of the state in question for a state specific answers. This type of notary act does not have a fixed fee in most states by the way! Californians are lucky that they get to capitalize on this rare opportunity!

Q. How much can I charge to notarize for an inmate? How much to charge for notary services in Jail?
A. The actual fee for the notarizations is whatever your state maximum fees are. However, travel fees and waiting time fees are whatever you and your client agree on unless you are in a state that has travel fee restrictions.

Q. How much should a notary charge for swearing in a witness or a signer?
A. Most states have a set fee for administering an Oath… you can charge that fee.

Q. What is the maximum fee a notary can charge for an Acknowledgment in 2014 or 2015?
A. Please consult our find a notary page and then look up your state

Q. What is the maximum fee a notary can charge for a Jurat in 2013, 2014 or 2015?
A. Please consult our find a notary page and then look up your state

Q. What is the maximum charge for a notary in my state?
A. The fee depends on the notary act, so please look your state up on our find a notary page on 123notary.

Note to readers
This blog entry was written in 2011, but modified in 2013 & 2014. Prices in 2015 & 2016 should be the same as in 2014 in most states. Find a great notary on 123notary!

Tweets
(1) How much can a notary charge for Travel, Copies of journal entries, Witness signatures & more!
(2) How much can a notary charge for an Acknowledgment, Jurat, or notarizing an inmate?

You might also like:

Q & A about various notary fees in 2013
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4291

Identification requirements for being notarized
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4299

Read blogs about California Notary issues!
http://blog.123notary.com/?tag=california-notary-public

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December 1, 2011

Can a Georgia notary notarize a Florida property document?

Filed under: Other States,SEO — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 2:25 am

Can a Georgia notary notarize a Florida property document?

Loan signings are common across the United States.  Any notary in any state can notarize almost any document within the confines of their state, but the document can be from out of state, or out of the country.  Notaries should refrain from notarizing copies of vital records, and Wills are generally avoided in many states as well.  Just as long as a Georgia Notary has their two feet in Georgia, it is okay to notarize a Florida document, or a loan signing for a property in Florida. 
 
Non-attorney Georgia Notaries are prohibited from doing loan signings for properties in Georgia, but, I don’t know any restriction for them as far as notarizing loan documents (packages that generally include Deeds of Trust, Mortgages, Grant Deeds, Quit Claim Deeds, Notes, Notice of Right to Cancel, etc.) that are from Florida, or some other state.
 
A Florida notary can also notarize documents that are to be recorded out of state.
 
One critical piece of information is that the county recorder in the state that a document is going to be recorded — have standards.  They might insist on their state’s notary wording to be on the notary certificate.  They can reject a document if the notary wording is not up to their standards, or if there is a smudgy seal, etc.  That is the job of the person who prepares the documents, and not the responsibility of the notary. A Georgia notary public, or any notary for that matter is allowed to make legal decisions for their clients which includes what type of wording to use, document drafting, or choosing the type of notarization to do, i.e. acknowledgment, jurat, protest, etc.

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November 29, 2011

Can a notary perform a wedding or marriage?

Filed under: Legal Issues,Popular Overall 2011,SEO,Technical & Legal,Ultra-Popular — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 6:37 am

Can a notary perform weddings?  Can a notary perform a marriage?
 
There are only three states that allow notaries to perform weddings.  If you are a Florida Notary Public, Maine Notary Public, or a South Carolina Notary Public, you can solemnize a marriage or officiate at a wedding. However, you might need some extra qualifications and authorizations from your state, so please ask your state notary division what you need to do to be able to officiate at weddings. Being a member of the clergy is helpful but not necessarily required to become a wedding officiate.
 
Can an Arizona notary perform a wedding?
No, an Arizona notary may not perform a wedding.
 
Can a California notary perform a wedding?
Sorry, that is not possible. Please find a specialist who is authorized to perform a wedding such as a priest, rabbi, clergy member, magistrate, marriage commissioner, or ask your local county clerk’s office, etc.
 
Can a Florida notary perform a wedding?
Some Florida notaries have the paperwork necessary (and the skill / specialty) to perform marriages.  123notary.com has a handful of Florida notaries who perform marriages as their primary vocation.
 
Can a Maine Notary perform a wedding?
Maine notaries can get licensed to perform marriages.  There are a handful of Maine notaries who perform marriages on a regular basis, and you can find them on the internet.
 
Can  a Maryland Notary perform a wedding?
No, a Maryland Notary may not officiate at a wedding.
 
Can a New Jersey Notary perform a wedding.
No, a New Jersey Notary may not perform a wedding
 
Can a New York Notary perform a wedding?
No, a New York Notary Public may not officiate at a wedding.
 
Can a Pennsylvania Notary perform a wedding?
No, a Pennsylvania notary can not perform a wedding ceremony.
 
Can a South Carolina notary perform a wedding.
With special authorization from the state, a South Carolina notary public may perform marriages.
 
Can a Texas notary peform a wedding?
Sorry, that is not allowed. Please consult a priest, rabbi, clergy member, or your local county clerk’s office.
 
Don’t see your state mentioned?  If you are not in FL, ME, or SC, a notary may not officiate at your wedding!

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