We Are Usually Asked About..
01 What's the role of a Notary Public?
A Notary Public is an official of integrity appointed by Secretary Of State — is public officer to act as an impartial witness (duty-bound not to act in situations where they have a personal interest) in performing a variety of official fraud-deterrent acts related to the signing of important documents, e.g. as Notary signing agent(Loan Signing Agent). Simply put, It is an official act of a duly commissioned and impartial public officer — a Notary Public. The purpose of a notarization is to bring a detailed and thoughtful procedure to a transaction to help protect the parties against hasty decisions and to ensure the mental competence and willingness of the parties.These official acts are called notarizations, or notarial acts. The most frequent service a Notary Public performs is taking someone’s acknowledgment, witnessing a signature. An acknowledgment is the solemn statement of a person that he or she signed a paper of his or her own free will. The notary verifies the person’s identity, presses his/her notary seal on the paper and signs it where the notary is meant to sign.
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02 Does the notarization makes any document "legal"?
​Notarization does not guarantee that the information on a document is accurate or legal. The signer is responsible for the content of the document. The Notary Public simply certifies the signer’s identity, usually by verifying a current identifying document containing a photo, physical description, and signature. Government issued photo IDs, such as driver’s licenses, state ID cards, passports, military IDs, and inmate IDs are sufficient for certification. Social Security cards, birth Certificates, credit cards, immigration cards, and temporary driver’s licenses are not suitable for certification.
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03 Why documents need to be notarized?
To deter fraud.
Having a notary serve as an third-party witness ensures that the signers of a document are who they say they are and that they signed the document under their own free will. The most common notarization is an acknowledgement – it’s a person’s sworn statement that he or she signed a paper by his or her own free will. To do this, a notary must verify the signer’s identity, apply his or her seal to the document, and then sign it.
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04 What is an acknowledgement?
It is a notarial act in which:
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Notary certifies having positively identified a document signer who personally appeared before the Notary and admitted having signed the document freely.
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It shows that acknowledging party appeared personally before the officer (e.g. Notary Public) taking the acknowledgement.
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Identifies acknowledging party by name corresponding to acknowledge document.
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It is signed by officer’s taking acknowledgment.
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it is sealed with officer’s official seal (if applicable).
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Proves signature’s authenticity.
In order for a notary to issue acknowledgement, it is not necessary for the document to be signed in his or her presence. However, the signer must still appear before the notary at the time of the acknowledgement to swear he or she freely signed for the purposes stated in the document under his or her own will.
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05 What is Notary Loan Signing Agent?
A Notary Loan Signing Agent is a Notary with experience witnessing loan document signings. A Notary is hired as an independent contractor by either a real estate lender, a closing agent, title/escrow firm, signing service, or the borrower to deliver documents, present each page in the package, ensure that documents are initialed and signed as necessary, notarize where required, and return the signed loan documents for processing. Many borrowers do not realize that in many cases they may select their own Notary to perform this service, which is something they need to discuss with their escrow or title officer. I have often been requested by borrowers directly to be the Notary assigned to their loan closings.
A “Certified Notary Loan Signing Agent” is a Notary Public who is specifically trained to facilitate real estate loan transactions. Also referred to as a “notary signing agent,” this expert notary has extensive training and experience in the execution of loan documents.
The Notary Signing Agent is hired by mortgage, escrow and title companies, to authenticate the identity of the borrower, obtain the necessary signatures and notarization, and even deliver the documents to the lender. A signing agent is an impartial party to the transaction, adhering to the notary laws of their state or jurisdiction.
The tasks of the Notary Signing Agent are vital to the successful closing and funding of real estate transactions. Mortgage lenders, title firms and escrow companies rely heavily on competent Notary Signing Agents to complete the signing and notarized portions of the real estate loan transaction in a professional, reliable and accurate manner. If you are purchasing a new property, or refinancing your current home, condominium, or rental property, I will ensure that your documents are signed correctly and accurately and delivered on time, so there is no delay in the funding of your loan, and you close on schedule!
06 What type of ID do you accept as an identification?
Each signer must present at least one of the forms of original photo ID listed below unless the signer is personally known to the Notary.
The ID must be current or, if expired, have been issued within the last 5 years; contain the signer’s photograph, personal description, and signature; and bear a serial or other identifying number. A document signer personally known to the Notary doesn’t need to present ID.
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Current driver’s License or non-driver’s ID card issued by a U.S. State
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Current U.S. Passport
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Current U.S. Military Identification Card
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Current driver’s license issued in Mexico or Canada
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Current foreign passport
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Current inmate ID.
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07 Can Notary Public refuse to notarize someone's signature?
A Notary is a public official who should not refuse service based on race, nationality, religion, lifestyle or because the client is not a client or customer. A Notary may refuse to serve someone if they are uncertain of a signer’s identity, willingness, or general competence, or suspects fraud. There are other reason when notary public, by law, must refuse notarizing the document:
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The notary cannot verify the identity of the signer;
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The notary has a beneficial or financial interest in the document;
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The notary is unable to communicate with the signer (person is not mentally competent to sign);
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The notary has knowledge that the transaction is fraudulent;
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The signer did not personally appear before the notary at the time of the notarization to confirm that he/she signed the document;
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The document contains blank spaces;
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08 Can you help me draft a legal document or give me a legal advice?
Answer is NO.
State law strictly prohibits Notaries from the practice of law. Notaries should never give advice on any matter relating to a document unless they are an attorney or professionals certified or licensed in a relevant area of expertise.
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09 Can I get Birth Certificate Certified?
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A notary public cannot certify copies of vital records, such as birth, marriage or death certificates. However, a notary public can administer an oath or affirmation and give a jurat for an affidavit that states the birthdate or age of the affiant, and/or includes a photograph of the affiant and/or fingerprints or thumbprints of the affiant. In effect, a signer can certify their own vital information by swearing to the contents of a document containing that information.
If the notary public gives a jurat for a document that includes the signer’s birthdate or age and a photograph or their finger or thumb print, the notary public must require the signer to verify their birthdate or age by showing a certified copy of the signer’s birth certificate or an identification card or driver’s license issued by the PA Department of Motor Vehicles.
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10 What is a Jurat?
It is a notarial act in which a Notary certifies having watched the signing of a document and administered an oath or affirmation.
The Notary’s function in executing a jurat is to appeal to the signer’s conscience and to initiate a process that could result in a criminal conviction for perjury if the signer is found to be lying under oath.
In executing a jurat, the Notary must watch the person sign the document, then have the signer make either a solemn, oral promise of truthfulness to a Supreme Being (called an oath) or a promise on one’s own personal honor (called an affirmation). The oath and affirmation have the same legal effect.
Jurats are common with documents that may be used as evidence in court proceedings, such as depositions and affidavits.
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11 Can my document be in a foreign language?
Yes, as long as the document has been completely filled out and there are no blanks, and the signer can communicate with the Notary. The Notary is not responsible for the content of the document, and therefore does not need to be able to read it, only to be able to confirm that it contains no blanks.
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12 Can I come to your location for Notary Services?
Yes, We do have a physical store location that you can come in at: LUKOIL- 501 West Lancaster Avenue, Wayne PA 19087.Also, we offer mobile Notary services for. We make house calls and cone to you. You may contact us to schedule the appointment anytime.
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