A notary public is a public official whose powers and duties are defined by statute. A notary acts as an official, unbiased witness to the identity and signature of the person who comes before them. The person may be taking an oath, giving oral or written testimony, or signing or acknowledging his or her signature on a legal document. The notary attests that certain formalities have been observed. 

There are five basic notarial acts:  

1. Acknowledgments:  The purpose of an acknowledgment is for a signer, whose identity the notary verifies, declares to a Notary or notarial officer that he or she has willingly signed a document.   

2. Jurats: Administering oaths and affirmations  

3. Certifying affidavits or depositions  

4. Certifying “true copies” of documents  

5. Verification of fact* 

Notaries public are prohibited from notarizing any document unless the identity of the signer has been satisfactorily proven to them. Unless you are personally known to me, you must present proof of your identity at every notarial appointment. The only forms of satisfactory evidence of identity as the following (§ 47.1-2):

Identity shall be ascertained by examination of one or more of the following nine unexpired documents: 

1. A United States Passport 

2. A United States Passport Card 

3. A certificate of United States citizenship 

4. A certificate of naturalization 

5. A foreign passport 

6. A United States green card with photograph 

7. A state issued driver’s license 

8. State-issued identification card 

9. A United States military identification card 

The law is silent on this topic, but it is generally advised that the address on your identification should be your current address. Remember, you are attesting to your identity, and part of your identity includes where you live. I need to verify that with your identification document. This is my policy and other notaries may have different policies.

I will confirm that the address on your identification is current address. If it is not, I will ask for an alternative identification that matches your current address. If you do not have that, I will not be able to proceed with the notary service until you obtain updated identification.

Remote Notarizations (RON) are checked through a verification system called Knowledge-Based Authentication. This is a method used to verify an individual's identity by asking them questions based on personal information that only they should know. 

For foreign signers, identity shall be ascertained by examination of at least two of the following four unexpired documents: 

1. A foreign passport

2. Credential analysis of an unexpired government-issued identification bearing a photograph of the principal's face and signature 

3. Biometrics

4.  An oath or affirmation of a credible witness 

Remote notarization entails a signer(s) who personally appears before the Notary at the time of the notarization via audio-visual technology over the internet instead of being physically present in the same room. Remote online notarization allows all signers to sign with an electronic signature.  Signers and notary connect via a specified online notary platform.

Yes. I am a commissioned notary by the Secretary of State with ability to notarize documents for use within the Commonwealth of Virginia, all US states and territories, as well as other countries.

There are laws in each state recognizing and accepting common out-of-state notarization’s, in which the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the US Constitution provides this allowance. Interstate recognition of notarization laws have been enacted for more than a century.

*Please note that a notary public is not permitted to provide legal advice.

Remote online notarizations are widely accepted. However, you are encouraged to ensure the receiving agency will accept electronic notarizations and notarizations by a Virginia notary (for out-of-state clients) prior to scheduling a notary appointment.

I can notarize just about any document that would require notarization. However, the following items we currently are not authorized to notarize:
– Birth, Death, or Marriage Certificates
– Divorce Decrees
– Documents in the custody of a court

At this time I cannot guarantee witnesses and encourage you to provide your own. Include the witness(es) name and email information in the appointment scheduling form. If you desire for us to locate witnesses for your signing please note that in your request.

Yes, I notarize documents for signers nationwide and globally via Remote Online Notarizations.

In order for a notarization to take place, the Notary and signer must be able to communicate directly with each other. I currently only offer English speaking services. A third-party interpreter may not be used. If the signer does not speak English, you may still contact me and I will try to connect you with a notary who can conduct your signing in your language.

• For remote online I-9 employment eligibility verifications, your employer must be active on E-Verify
• The employee must have the original forms of their IDs and the I-9 employment eligibility verification form 
• I do not notarize I-9 as it is not required. I serve as an Authorized Representative if appointed as such by the employer.

Contact me and I will see what kind of document you have. 

Apostilles for notarized documents are issued by the competent authority in the state where the document was issued, typically the state Secretary of State's office.

Documents notarized by a U.S. notary public must be processed by the appropriate state authority, not the U.S. Department of State.

Apostilles and authentication certificates verify signatures, stamps, or seals on important documents. These documents can include court orders, contracts, vital records, educational diplomas, and more.

The country you will use the document in determines whether you will need an apostille or an authentication certificate.

• You can get your (Virginia business) SAM Entity Administrator Letter notarized with me? Make your appointment today.
• I can serve as your company's Authorized Representative for I-9 Verifications.