What does a Notary Public do?
A notary public serve as an impartial witness in performing a variety of official fraud-deterrent acts related to the signing of important documents, called notarizations or notarial acts. We are publicly commissioned as "ministerial" officials expected to follow written rules without the exercise of significant personal discretion.
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What does a Notary Signing Agent do?
A Signing Agent is a Notary Public who has competed additional training in the loan signing process. Signing agents work as part of a team that helps a borrower when they purchase or refinance a home. Their job is to act as an impartial third-party to the loan transaction, and to ensure that all documents are properly executed. This includes reviewing all the critical documents with you, the borrower.
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Examples of documents we can notarize:
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Acknowledgments
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Applications (All types)
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Bill of Sales
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Debt Settlement Documents
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Grant Deeds
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Jurats
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Medical Documents
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Passport Forms
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Quitclaim Deeds
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Surveyor’s Plats
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Vehicle Delivery Paperwork
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Authorization/Consent Forms
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Commercial Real Estate Transactions
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Depositions
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Guardianship Authorizations
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Living Wills
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Minor Travel Authorizations
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Petition Affidavits
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Real Estate Documents
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Traffic School Exam
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Wills
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Affidavits
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Bank Forms
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Contracts
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Estate Planning Documents
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Loan Documents
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Motor Vehicle Titles
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Power of Attorney Forms (All)
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Structured Settlement Documents
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Trust Paperwork
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Written Testimony
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ID Requirements
Photograph, physical description, signature, serial number. Per California Civil Code section 1185(b)(3) and (4), acceptable ID documents (current or issued within 5 years) are:
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ID card or driver's license issued by CA DMV
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US passport
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Valid consular ID document
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Inmate ID card issued by CA Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation
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Any form of inmate ID card issued by sheriff's dept. in a local detention center
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Any state's ID card or driver's license
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Driver's license issued by authorized Canadian or Mexican public agency
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US military ID card with signature, photo, physical description
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Employee ID card issued by an agency or office of State of CA, or city, county, or city and county in CA
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ID issued by federally recognized tribal government
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If none of the above documents are available, the oath of a single credible witness personally known by the notary is acceptable, provided identity is further established with a paper ID listed above. The oath of two credible witnesses not personally known is also acceptable; providing one of the ID documents listed above can be produced for each witness.
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What if I can't sign my name?
A notarization is still possible if two credible witnesses can be present to view signature by mark ("X" or similar). The witnesses should not be relatives, nor have any connection to the transaction. One witness will write the signer's name next to the mark, and both witnesses will sign their names on the notarized document.
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