Have you ever wondered what a “Notary Public” can do? Most of us have had at least one experience with a “notary” as they are sometimes referred to, but only in a limited capacity. Whatever experience you’ve had with a notary it was probably brief and you just did it because someone told you something needed to be notarized. So, just in case you have ever wondered what else a notary can do, here is some general information.
Notaries public, who are typically appointed by secretaries of state, act as impartial witnesses when important documents, such as wills, are signed. You can usually find notaries at law firms and banks, and sometimes in city halls. Some notaries charge for their services, while others, such as at banks, offer their services for free.
Depending on the state where you live, a notary public can do more than witness signatures. A notary public in New York, for example, can take affidavits and depositions and administer oaths and affirmations. In Washington, a notary public can certify that an event or an act occurred and can take acknowledgements. While notaries public in Florida can perform a civil wedding ceremony, not all states confer this power to notaries.
Some notaries may also be loan signing agents who are trained on how to properly execute loan documents. A loan-signing agent explains the documents to the signers and witnesses the signatures.
There are also mobile notaries that are usually not affiliated with an organization or an employer. Typically working from home, they advertise their services to places like law firms or real estate offices that may need documents notarized.
But getting back to the original question a notary public is basically is an official witness who affirms that a document was executed in such a way that it is binding upon the parties whose names appear in it.