Disclaimer

What a notary public does

A notary verifies the identity of the person signing, confirms they are signing willingly and appear aware of what they are doing, witnesses the signature, and completes a notarial certificate. That is the whole of it. A notarial act says who signed and that they were properly identified — it says nothing about whether the document is the right one, whether it is filled in correctly, or whether it will achieve what the signer hopes.

What is not offered here, at any price

• Advice on which document you need
• Filling in a document, or any part of one, on your behalf
• Explaining what a clause will do in your particular circumstances
• Reviewing a completed document to tell you whether it is correct or sufficient
• Drafting, or arranging the drafting of, any legal document

All of the above is the practice of law. Asking a notary to do it puts the notary's commission at risk and leaves you with a document nobody qualified has checked. If you need any of it, the right person is a licensed attorney.

About the information published on this site

The guidance here is general information about how documents must be executed to be valid and accepted — witness requirements, notarization requirements, what institutions commonly reject and why. It is published as self-help material for the general public. It is not tailored to anyone, it does not create an attorney-client relationship, and reading it does not make anyone your lawyer or your representative.

Requirements differ by state and change over time. Every page states which state it describes and the date its content was last verified against the statute. A page that has not been verified recently may be out of date, and no page is a substitute for advice about your own situation.

The separation, stated plainly

This site publishes information. Michael Seutin performs notarizations. Those two things are kept apart on purpose: no notarization appointment includes document preparation, and no published page is written for an individual reader's circumstances. Where a document is brought to an appointment, it is brought as published self-help material that the signer has chosen — never selected, completed, or recommended for them.

Fees

California caps the fee for a notarial act at $15 per signature (Government Code section 8211). Travel and after-hours convenience are separate, are not notarial fees, and are disclosed and agreed with you before any travel begins. If a quoted fee has not been agreed, no appointment has been made.