How to notarize a document

This article is general information, not legal advice. Notary rules vary by state and province, so check your local requirements or ask the notary if you are unsure what your document needs.

What notarizing a document means

Notarizing a document is a formal step where a notary public watches you sign, checks that you are who you say you are, and confirms you are signing willingly. The notary then adds their own stamp or seal and signature, along with details of when and where the signing happened. This does not make the notary responsible for the content of the document. Their job is to verify the signing, not to judge whether the agreement is a good one.

The purpose is to reduce fraud and add trust. When a document is notarized, anyone relying on it later has stronger assurance that the signature is genuine and was made by the right person. That is why notarization is common for documents where a forged or disputed signature would cause real harm.

What a notary public does

A notary public is a person authorized by the state or province to perform certain acts. The most common is witnessing signatures, but notaries also handle a few related tasks:

• Acknowledgments. Confirming that the signer appeared, was identified, and acknowledged signing the document.
• Jurats. Administering an oath or affirmation, often for a sworn statement such as an affidavit, and watching the signer sign.
• Certifying copies. In some places, confirming that a copy is a true copy of an original.

The notary records the act, applies their seal, and signs. In many places they also keep a journal of the notarizations they perform.

Documents that often need notarization

Not every document needs a notary, but many important ones do. Common examples include:

• Affidavits and sworn statements.
• Powers of attorney.
• Real estate deeds and some mortgage papers.
• Wills in some jurisdictions, and living wills or advance directives.
• Certain vehicle title transfers and bills of sale.
• Parental consent and travel consent letters for minors.

If your document has a notary block, a line that says "subscribed and sworn before me," or a space for a seal, it is meant to be notarized. When in doubt, ask the person or office that will receive the document whether they require notarization.

How to notarize a document step by step

1. Prepare the document but do not sign it yet. Fill in every blank first, but leave the signature line empty. The notary needs to watch you sign, so signing ahead of time defeats the purpose. You can complete the form in the fill a PDF tool and print it, or fill a printed copy.
2. Find a notary. Look for a notary at a bank, a law office, a shipping or mailbox store, a courthouse, or through an online notarization service.
3. Bring valid photo identification. The notary must confirm your identity, usually with a government-issued photo ID such as a driver license or passport.
4. Bring any required witnesses. Some documents need one or two extra witnesses in addition to the notary. Check your document and bring people who are not parties to it.
5. Sign in front of the notary. When the notary is ready, sign the document while they watch. Do not sign beforehand.
6. Let the notary complete their part. The notary fills in the notarial certificate, adds the date, applies their seal or stamp, and signs. They may also record it in their journal.
7. Keep the notarized original. Store the finished document safely, and make a copy for your records before you hand over the original if it is required by someone else.

What to bring to a notary

Showing up prepared saves a second trip. Bring these:

• The complete document, filled in but unsigned.
• Valid government photo ID that is current and matches the name on the document.
• Any required witnesses, who should also bring photo ID.
• Payment, since notaries usually charge a small fee, which varies by location and by how many signatures are notarized.

If your name recently changed, bring ID that matches the name on the document, or documentation of the change, so the notary can confirm your identity without a problem.

Where to find a notary

Notaries are more common than most people realize. Many banks and credit unions offer notary service to their customers, sometimes at no charge. Shipping and mailbox stores, law offices, real estate offices, libraries, and courthouses often have a notary as well. Some employers keep a notary on staff. If you cannot easily get to one in person, an online notarization service may be an option, covered next.

Online notarization: how it works

Remote online notarization lets you notarize a document over a live video call instead of in person. You upload the document, verify your identity through the platform, and sign electronically while the notary watches on video. The notary then applies an electronic seal. Online notarization is allowed in many US states, though the rules and the list of documents that qualify vary, and some documents still require an in-person notary. In Canada, remote notarization and virtual commissioning are available in various provinces, again with their own rules. Before you rely on online notarization, confirm that the state or province involved allows it for your specific document and that whoever will receive the document accepts a remotely notarized version.

Notarization in the US vs Canada

The idea is the same in both countries, but the details differ. In the United States, notaries public are commissioned by each state, and most notarizations are acknowledgments or jurats performed by a notary who may be a layperson trained and authorized for the role. In Canada, the picture is more varied. Some provinces use notaries public, and in many situations a commissioner for oaths or a lawyer performs similar functions, such as commissioning an affidavit. Because the roles and terms differ, ask what your document needs in your province or state, and whether the person you plan to see is authorized to perform that act.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Signing before you see the notary. The notary must watch you sign, so a pre-signed document usually cannot be notarized.
• Bringing expired or mismatched ID. The name on your ID should match the document, and the ID must be current.
• Leaving blanks in the document. Complete every field first, since a notary generally will not notarize a document with empty spaces meant to be filled in.
• Forgetting required witnesses. If the document needs witnesses, arrange them ahead of time and make sure they are not parties to the document.
• Assuming notarization is always accepted remotely. Confirm the receiver accepts online notarization before you use it.

Notarizing vs signing electronically

Notarization and electronic signing are not the same thing. An electronic signature is a fast, valid way to sign many everyday documents, and for those you do not need a notary at all. Notarization is an added step of identity verification and witnessing that specific documents require by law. If your document does not call for a notary, you can simply sign it with the sign a PDF tool, which lets you draw, type, or upload a signature. If it does call for a notary, you complete the notarial step in addition to signing. For documents that only need a signature, our guides on how to sign a PDF and how to add a signature to a PDF walk through the options.

Fill your document before you notarize it

The cleanest way to prepare for a notary visit is to fill the document out completely first, leaving only the signature for the notary appointment. Open our fill a PDF tool, add your document, type into every field, and print a neat copy. Because the file is processed in your browser, the details stay on your own device rather than being uploaded to a server, which matters for the private information many notarized documents contain. Browse the templates library for affidavits, powers of attorney, and consent forms that often need notarizing, and prepare them the same way.