How to Find a Notary Public in Your Local Area
How to Find a Notary Public in Your Local Area
A notary public is an individual who has been appointed by the state to serve as an impartial witness in the signing of important documents. A notary public can also administer oaths and affirmations, take acknowledgments, and certify copies of certain documents. If you need the services of a notary public, you may be wondering how to go about finding one in your local area. But, how do you get started to find notaries in your area? Here are a few tips.
Ways of Searching for Notary Services
Family and Friends
The first place to start is by asking family and friends if they know of any notaries public in the area. Chances are, if someone you know has used the services of a notary public before, they will be able to recommend a reputable individual. Most of the time, your friends and family have already done the work to search and find a notary for previous notary services.
Chamber Of Commerce
Another option is to contact your local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau. These organizations keep track of businesses in the area, including notaries public. They should be able to provide you with a list of notaries public in your area and may even be able to give you suggestions on which ones have a good reputation. The CEO of the Chamber most likely will give you the name of someone they use so you don't have to search and find a notary on their website.
Real Estate Firms
Every transaction for a purchase or sale of a home requires the use of a local notary signing agent for notarized documents. Escrow offices, realtors, and mortgage officers can often locate the notary who is often asked to assist with their document process. Consult with your resources on which notary to request for your specific need.
Notary Signing Service Company
Most notaries get their jobs through notary services specifically aimed at the convenience of the requestor. You can search the internet for any number of Signing Service business companies either in your county or who serve as a notary locator for your county. These companies screen each notary to ensure that they have a valid commission, and insurance, and some have a test that a new notary has the pass about state laws or how to verify information in documents. They will also be able to find a notary available on your schedule. A Notary Signing service is a very easy way to find a notary.
Remote Notarization via RON Platforms
If convenience is what you wish for, then RON is what you will need to find a notary! Most Signing Services offer a RON platform internally now, however, searching for Remote Online Notarization on the web should lead you to a great place to search for a way to get your legal documents notarized. During this appointment, you will need to have access to a computer for a "face-to-face" style conversation with a notary who will pre-screen your account with an example or two of different verification methods. Most frequently, you will see confidential information pulled from banking and past living situations just like when applying for a loan instead of asking you to show one of two forms of ID if your appointment was in person.
Which option is best?
Referrals are always best! Instead of having to search yourself and have to vet a person who will be your notary, someone who you trust may have already done the work. Getting a document notarized is a matter of making it legally valid so make sure you have a great notary who does a great job, follows the laws of your county and state, and stands by their work if anything needs to be corrected is paramount.
Something to take in mind, as well, is to inquire with your requestor if they will accept notarized documents from a particular source you have found. This is something that is mostly an example with RON where parties are not accepting a RON notarized document depending on the nature of the document and the state.
How much will my notary charge
Every state has different regulations around notary fees so please ask on the phone about the fee per notarization and any other fee you may expect to see. While this isn't a make-it-or-break-it for deciding if a notary is a great fit, it may help with your search if they are not able to tell you their fees.
Lastly, you can always search online for “notaries public” or “notaries” followed by your city or town name. This should give you a list of all the notaries public in your area along with their contact information.
If you need the services of a notary public, there are several ways to go about finding one in your local area. Asking family and friends for recommendations is always a good place to start. You can also contact your local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau for help. And if all else fails, an online search should give you everything you need to know.