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Frequently Asked Questions
Common Notary Questions
Apostille & Authentication Process
Hospital Care Facility Notary FAQ
Common Notary Definitions
1. Have an Unexpired, Government issued, Photo ID available. State Issued
Drivers or ID, Military ID or U.S. Passport.
(a copy or photograph of ID is not permitted)
2. All individuals on documents to be notarized are to be
present at signing.
3. Document(s) to be notarized are prepared, printed &
assembled with no blanks. Name on document is required to match
the name on ID.
Signature(s), Date & Notarial Certificate area left blank
4. Signer is awake, aware & able is not mentally impaired, understands
document to be signed, & has ability to independently sign document(s).
5. Credible witnesses (if needed) They will be required to present
unexpired, government issued, photo ID, & give their ID information to
the notary to record & sign the journal.
Government issued identification: It must include the following information: The signers photograph, signature, identifying number, expiration date & a physical description that includes: height, weight, color of hair and color of eyes.
(A photograph or copy of an ID is not permitted.)
ONE of the following is required.
• An unexpired Driver’s License or State Issued Identification card issued by a State or Territory of the United States.
• An unexpired United States Passport issued by the United States Department of State.
• An unexpired United States Military Identification Card that is issued by any branch of the United States Armed Forces.
• Inmate identification card issued by the Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, if the signer is in custody.
• Any other unexpired identification card that is issued by the United States Government or a State or Tribal Government that contains the individuals photograph, signature, a physical description & Identifying number.
If you do not have acceptable, unexpired identification, you may be identified by either one or two credible identifying witnesses who must produce unexpired, acceptable, government issued ID.
The credible witness(es) may not have an interest in document to be signed, related to by blood or marriage, or be named in the document.
Two credible identifying witnesses are required if neither of them are personally known by the Notary.
The credible witnesses must personally know you and take an oath attesting to your identity, have valid, unexpired, government issued, photo ID, have their ID verified & will be required to sign the notaries' journal.
If you have had a recent name change due to marriage, divorce, adoption or other circumstances, we strongly recommend updating your ID prior to requesting notarization, unless the name on the document matches the name on your ID.
Very important: In the event you are closing on a loan, please note that most lenders will require the first and last name to be an exact match to your ID prior to funding the loan.
1. Contact the entity or legal advisor requesting document to find out which notarial certificate is required.
2. The signer can choose which certificate, however, if the wrong notary certificate is chosen for the document being notarized, it may render the document invalid.
Acknowledgements
An acknowledgement is used to verify the identity of the signer and to confirm that they signed the document. They are not swearing to the truthfulness or validity of the document, they are simply acknowledging that they signed the document.
Jurats
A jurat is used when the signer is swearing to the content of the document. The notary must administer an oath or affirmation to the signer in order to complete the jurat. A jurat also requires that the signer signs in the presence of the notary. It is possible to glean this information from the jurat certificate its self. The wording states “Subscribed and sworn to before me…” – subscribed meaning “signed” and sworn meaning that an oral oath or affirmation was given. “Before me” means that both were done in the presence of the notary public.
While it is important for a notary to understand the difference between the two, Michigan & Ohio notaries public are not allowed to determine which type of certificate a signer uses. To do so would be considered practicing law without a license. A Notary can only ask the signer which form they prefer; if they don't know, the notary will refer them to the originator of the document for an answer. It is the responsibility of the person(s) requesting the notarization to choose which notarial certificate is needed.
Yes!
We are happy to announce we have opened a new office in the west Toledo/Trilby area!
3740 W. Alexis Road Toledo, OH 43623. Ste. #110
We are located inside Compassion at Calvary Church
Please use the East Entrance ( Offices ) and use the marked doorbell on left.
First Suite on left # 110.
Appointments are required. Phone number is 419-855-2495
We travel to clients as well! Someone may not be in the office if an appointment is not prescheduled.
Thanks!
Please use East Entrance closest to the road.
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We accept Cash & Credit/Debit Cards: Mastercard, Visa, Discover, American Express & Diners Club 4% processing fee added to Credit/Debit Cards.
Google Pay, Apple Pay, After Pay, Square, Pay Pal & Cash App
4% processing fee added.
Need to pre-pay click secure link here (https://square.link/u/akfIZwCP)for Square payment processing
Our notaries do not cash or change. Please have correct amount available. No checks or billing for services.
No, we are unable to provide legal documents.
However, we have secured an affiliate partnership with a large well known company.
Click here (https://www.rocketlawyer.com/get-started/offer/rocket-lawyer-partner-offer)to obtain your legal documents.
There is no additional charge from us. We receive a small commission if you choose to purchase legal documents via our affiliate link.
Commissioned Notary Public since 2003
Southern Ohio College
Associates Degree - Nursing 2005
National Notary Association
Loan Signing Agent Certification
Ohio Notary Services
Notary Education - Certification
Pavaso
Mobile Notary Certification
Commissioned In Ohio & Michigan
Surety Bonded
Errors & Omissions Insured
Background Screened (BCI) & Fingerprinted
GLBA Compliance C(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramm%E2%80%93Leach%E2%80%93Bliley_Act)ertified
HIPPA Trained & Certified
Affiliations/Memberships
American Association of Notaries
National Notary Coalition
Sharp Seal Notaries carry clip boards, oversized pens, magnification implements, signature assistance cards & thumbprint ink to assist our patients/clients with the notarization process. All of our training and certifications are carried with our notaries and can be viewed by our clients.
Yes.
The following are some circumstances, per Ohio (https://www.ohiosos.gov/notary/information/#refusing)& Michigan Laws, under which a Notary has the right to refuse to notarize:
• The signer does not appear before the notary public.
• If the document signer(s) is unable to produce acceptable, unexpired, government issued, photo identification.
• If the document signer is unable to produce credible identifying witnesses with acceptable, unexpired government issued, photo ID.
• If the document is incomplete or contains blank spaces.
• If the document does not provide notarial wording or correct notarial certificate and the signer is unable provide instructions as such.
• If the Notary is uncertain of a signer’s willingness, mental awareness or has cause to suspect fraud.
• The signer is unwilling to swear or affirm to the contents of the document when requesting a jurat certificate.
• The notary public does not have his or her notary seal available at the time an act is requested.
• The signer requests the notary to certify a copy of a vital record.
• The notary is unavailable for reasons such as the act needs to be performed on a holiday, the notary is ill, or the notary is requested to travel to another location to perform the act.
No.
This is for the safety of the consumer. A Notary Public is not an attorney, they are not permitted by law to assist a signer to explain, draft, prepare or fill-in documents.
Ohio & Michigan prohibits non-attorneys from providing legal advice or services.
This is called Unlicensed Practice of LaW.
No. I-9 forms cannot, by law, be notarized. A notary can only assist the client with Identification verification & filling out section 2 of the I-9 form as an authorized representative.
Acceptable documents for ID verification by a notary can be found here.(https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents)
A copy or photograph of an acceptable document is not permitted.
Originals must be presented for form to be completed by a notary public.
Need an 1-9 form, click here (https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-9.pdf)to download & print.
NO. Don't remove the staple from the document!
If the staple is removed (whether your documents came stapled or I have stapled a form to the signature page), you risk a third party refusing to accept the document, as it may appear that the document has been tampered with.
If you need to copy document, copy with staple intact.
Yes!
We travel to hospitals, care facilities, rehab, nursing home, hospice, etc.
There are items that will need to be reviewed before a successful notarization.
Click here (https://1drv.ms/w/c/eceddd530f824ae7/EYVN5r9ryY9Jo6AkYxuBrfABNjVySPzZ0stBRZsqfLWfiw?e=rHFWZl)for a free hospital readiness checklist.
If you are in an emergency situation: IE: Hospital/facility, check with your hospital or facilities social worker, they might be able to direct you to the documents you need.
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