What Does a Notary Actually Do?
Most people know that a Notary Public stamps documents, but the role goes far deeper than that.
A Notary is a state-commissioned public official whose primary responsibility is to protect the public from fraud. We serve as an impartial witness to your signature. We verify:
You are who you say you are,
The document is complete with no blank spaces,
You are signing of your own free will,
And you understand what you are signing.
As a Notary Public, it is my duty to make sure that you are protected. This process adds a critical layer of trust for life’s most important paperwork, whether you are buying a home, granting Power of Attorney, finalizing a will, or preparing documents for international use. We hold a position of inherent trust, which comes with great responsibility.
Fraud is becoming an increasingly serious problem every day. I always make sure that you have read and understand the documents before you sign them. If you have questions or don’t understand certain terms, I encourage you to call your agency directly with those questions before you sign the documents.
I don’t judge the content of your documents, I don’t verify that the paperwork is filled out correctly, and I cannot answer questions about the document, as I’m not an attorney. It is my job to make sure that no fraud can be committed. That’s it, and that’s important.
So, if you see me:
Using a light on your ID,
Comparing you to your ID,
Comparing your signature to your ID,
Verifying that your ID hasn’t expired,
Making sure that you didn’t sign the documents before I notarize them,
Taking a few minutes to go over the documents to make sure everything is correct,
Asking your family members to leave the room,
Remember that I am doing this as an added level of protection for you, to help prevent forged signatures, fraudulent property transfers, unauthorized loan agreements, and identity theft in legal paperwork. Because when we all work together to ensure secure transactions and proper document security, we all win!
