Whenever you need to get a document notarized, it must be an important document to you, whether it’s an application, a deed, a power of attorney, an affidavit of some sort. When you are in front of a Notary Public, he or she must carefully screen you, the signer. This is done for very good reasons.
A primary responsibility of a Notary Public is to serve as an impartial witness for signing of important documents. As an impartial witness, the Notary is required to screen the signer and to meet the State law. While each State’s notary rules and laws may differ, the screening of a signer is the same.
To screen a signer, there are 3 key things that a Notary looks for:
1. Signer Presence
The signer must be present in front of the Notary and the signer must have proper government issued identification. The Notary must verify that the Identification matches with the Signer in person.
2. Signer Willingness
It is critically important that the signer is signing the document on his or her own free will. The Notary must make every effort to confirm that the signer is acting on his/her own will. It’s the law. Examples of fraudulent signing where the signers are coerced: Financial Power of Attorney, Consent for Marriage of a Minor.
3. Signer Awareness
Equally important to willingness is the Signer’s awareness of what he/she is doing. Essentially, does the Signer understand what he/she is signing with full mental capacity?
While there are other factors that a Notary looks for before performing a notarial act, the above 3 key elements are what an experienced Notary does every time!
Peninsula Mobile Notary provides mobile notary services in the Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. The cities we service include Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Campbell, San Jose, Milpitas, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Redwood City, San Carlos, Millbrae, and their surrounding areas.
Call or Text (650)397-1587
Email: Susan.Notary007@gmail.com