While a notary only notarizes signatures, there are other functions they may carry out. A notary is immediately certified to conduct marital relationship events in three states, and can apply for short-lived authority to carry out marriages in others.
For the most part, a simple meaning is that a Notary Public is a individual who is designated or commissioned to administer oaths and acknowledge that the signatures on documents come from individuals signing. When acknowledging a document, the notary public is mentioning that he or she has sufficiently established the identity of the signer with legal paperwork, and that the files were either checked in their presence or the signer has sworn that the signature was their own.
Given that legal files are commonly notarized, legal assistants, paralegals, or lawyers are frequently designated as a notaries. However, being used in the legal field is not a prerequisite to becoming a notary and there are many classes readily available, both online and personally that will teach a person the best ways to perform the responsibilities of a notary public, and will prepare them to take the state exam.
In other states, such as Florida, Minnesota, and South Carolina, notaries are in fact designated by the guv, or in the case of New Jersey, a notary public is commissioned by the State Treasurer. Conduct an online search for your state and you will quickly find out who monitors the notary process for your state.
By and large, notaries are not allowed to provide legal guidance, make suggestions concerning contracts, or describe to a person how their finalizing of a document impacts them. The notary public is simply there to make sure that the person called in the file is the one who is signing. Anything that surpasses that could be grounds for the notary having their commission suspended or perhaps revoked.
Tools of the Trade
The notary austin tx tool kit that a notary usages to fulfill their tasks is very basic. Every notary has an official seal that is used to " mark" documents. The seal consists of the name of the notary, state and county where they are authorized to notarize, and the date their commission ends. Furthermore, each notary need to keep an official journal where they record the kind of documents they notarized, the area where the signing took place, and to record signatures as evidence of the signers' identity. In numerous states a notary will likewise take a thumb print from the signer and location it next to their journal entry.
A notary is instantly licensed to perform marriage events in three states, and can use for short-term authority to perform marriages in others.
In other states, such as Florida, Minnesota, and South Carolina, notaries are actually designated by the governor, or in the case of New Jersey, a notary public is commissioned by the State Treasurer. Conduct an online search for your state and you will quickly find out who monitors the notary process for your state. The seal consists of the name of the notary, state and county where they are authorized to notarize, and the date their commission ends.