How to Notarize a Document | Examples of Notarized Documents

Nikita R.

Media-savvy content creator, with a curiosity for all Salesforce experiences.

Updated: Jan 13th, 2025

Notarizing a document is an important step to ensure that it hasn’t been tampered with and to provide evidence that it is authentic. A notary is someone who can help notarize a document, which includes verifying the identity of the signer and checking that they are a willing participant.

As this is a common practice for businesses and individuals, let’s explore the world of document notarization in more detail.

How to Notarize a Document Example

Notarized documents are essential for businesses that want to steer clear of fraud and forgery within agreements among employees, customers, and partners.

A notarized letter is a great example of a document that needs notarization, but notarized documents can also include:

Estate Documents

Loan Documents

Power of Attorney Documents

Medical Release Forms

Business Agreements

Travel Consent Letters

School Documents

Car Title Transfers

What’s a Notary? | Notary Document Example

Now that we know that many types of documents need to be notarized, it’s time to figure out who can help?

A notary could! Also known as a notary public, a notary is a witness who oversees the signing and execution of documents. A notary’s central role is to identify that all the individuals signing an agreement are willing and understand the contents found in the contract.

Notaries are important individuals to employ as they prevent fraud from occurring in document signing processes and validate the authenticity of legal and financial transactions.

Take a look at some of the tasks that a notary is responsible for:

To complete notarization of a document, a notary will ask all parties to provide valid identification documents.

Notaries will watch as each individual signs a document to confirm that the signatures are legitimate.

Notaries can, at times, be asked to administer oaths and affirmations. These oaths are considered solemn promises from individuals that they are speaking the truth. Oaths and affirmations are usually needed when dealing with legal documents and affidavits.

Who can Notarize a Document?

As we learned, notaries are those that you seek if you want to notarize documents. These individuals are given authority by their country, state, or regional location to act as witnesses in document signing processes. Notaries have to follow the regulations and requirements in which they operate.

Notaries usually work in banks, law firms, and government offices. However, you can also find notaries providing their services online.

If you need a document notarized, remember to take your identification documents to the appointment so the document signing process can run smoothly.

What does Notarized Mean?

When a document is eventually notarized, it means that it has been through a process where the notary has confirmed that the signatures provided within are accurate and correlate to the person who has signed it. A notarized document also confirms that the person who signed the document is the correct person and not a fraudster.

How to Get Something Notarized?

How do you notarize a document? We know you want your documents notarized to avoid suspicion of fraudulent actions. We get you, and agree that it’s important to know if they have been correctly notarized, so here is a summarized version of the whole process:

This simple process proves that a document has been notarized. Although this process quick, it is required by many legal and financial documents. At the same time, it’s important to note that the notarization process does not offer legal advice or validate the agreement’s content.

Where to Get Something Notarized?

Are you in a hurry to to get something notarized after reading all our content but not sure where to go? We suggest getting your document notarized in minutes at a multitude of locations. Where can I notarize a document? We have selected our top 3 places for notarizing documents, but there will be many more options.

At your Local Banks

Most individuals use banks to manage their finances, so approaching a bank or a credit union is an easy option for notarizing documents. Even though local banks may offer notary services, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with a notary as there might be costs involved for notarizing documents.

At your Community Post Office

If bank queues are not your thing, we understand. Banks are popular and busy places, after all. Your next bet for finding where to notarize a document would be a shipping or postal service store. The UPS Store and FedEx Office are good examples of companies that provide notary services. Remember to call your local post office or check out their website for notary service fees.

At your Nearest Public Library

The last option on our list, but certainly not in the real world, is libraries. These educational institutions often employ notaries who can assist you with notarizing your documents. Try calling your local public library to see if they offer notary services.

What Does a Notarized Document Look Like?

If you need to visualize what does a notarized letter look like, take a look at our image below. Your notarized document should have the following details added to the content:

Signer’s Name

Signer’s Signature

Notary Public’s Name

Notary Signature

A location that Notary Operates In

Notary’s Commission Expiry Data

Notary’s Public Seal

How Much to Notarize a Document?

And finally, this very important but complex question needs to be asked before we finish the article.

Notarizing a document depends on where you live, what document you need to notarize, as well as the notary’s service fees.

Overall, the cost of a notary’s service fees will depend on which country you reside in, as these fees are regulated by governments. However, to give you an idea, we have found some information for you.

A Basic Notarization Service

If you just need to sign a form, you can plan for spending between $5 and $20 for notary fees. However, keep in mind that these prices can shoot up depending on the location you live or work in.

Notarization with Extra Services

In some cases, you might need to notarize a document, provide an oath, and certify a number of document copies. Notaries can help with all of these services, but the costs will be separate from the basic notarization service.

Notarization Services that Comes to You

You could find a notary that travels and provides mobile services so they could meet you at a specific location like your house or workplace. This notary service can be a life-saving but expensive option as you would have to pay for travel expenses.

Corporate Notarization Services

Companies that need to notarize documents often and in bulk batches can reach out to notaries and negotiate discounts or reduced fees for notary services.

We hope to see you soon! 

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Disclaimer: The comparisons listed in this article are based on information provided by the companies online and online reviews from users. If you found a mistake, please contact us.