Notary

Notarization is the process of authenticating a document by a commissioned Notary Public, assuring that its signature is genuine and that the signer acted without duress or intimidation. The key value lies in the Notary’s impartial screening of a signer for identity, willingness and awareness. This screening detects and deters document fraud, helping protect the personal rights and property of private citizens from forgery, identity theft and exploitation.

When notarized, a document will be marked with a stamp, or seal, which indicates that the signature on the document is legitimate. A Notary Public watches you sign a document, and then places the stamp near your signature. This signifies that it was you who signed the document, not someone posing as you.

• In addition to verifying your identity, a Notary looks for signs of trouble—that you’re signing willingly and no one is forcing you to sign. A Notary will refuse to validate a signature if signs of coercion are present.
• A Notary also needs to make sure you’re in a condition to truly understand what you’re signing. If you are intoxicated, medicated, or unable to understand what’s happening for any reason, a Notary can refuse to notarize the document.
• Be sure to bring an unsigned document—not one that’s been signed ahead of time. It needs to be signed in front of the Notary, who needs to watch you sign.
• Bring a picture identification—a drivers license or passport.
• Notaries are commissioned every four years, must stay current with changing laws and keep records. Every member of the Guideway team is a licensed Notary Public.
• For all of our services that require notarization—divorces, deeds, etc., the notarization fee is included. If you come in to our office just to have a signature notarized, our fee is $15.