Frequently Asked Questions

A notary public is an official appointed by the state government to witness and certify the signing of legal documents.

An Apostille is a certificate that authenticates the seals and signatures of officials on public and non-public documents.  It is a certification that is affixed to a document by an appropriate government official after it has been notarized or certified.  The purpose of the Apostille is to verify the authenticity of a document when is to be used internationally.  

This process is crucial in order for documents such as birth certificates, court orders, marriage certificates, death certificates, divorce decrees, certificate of naturalization, and other legal documents to be recognized in foreign countries.  

A mobile notary/apostille is a notary public who provides notary and apostille services outside of a traditional office or location.  A mobile notary/apostille will travel to your location or a mutually agreed upon location to notarize your documents.

You will need to provide a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's licence or passport, to be notarized.

An acknowledgement is a sworn statement that the signer(s) of a document is who they say they are, and they are signing the document of their own free will, and they understand the contents, intent, and implications of the document(s) that they are signing.  It is important to note that a notary does not provide legal advice or judge the contents of the document.  The role of the notary is to confirm the signer's identity and willingness to sign the document(s).  

A Jurat is a notarial certificate that is used when an individual needs to make a sworn statement or an oath about the truthfulness of the contents of a document much like an affidavit.  When a notary administers a Jurat, they require the signer to verbally swear or affirm that the information in the document is accurate and true in the notary's presence.

We can notarize a variety of documents, including affidavits, power of attorney, wills, deeds, copies of original documents such as passports, drivers license, and more.

You might need a notary for several important reasons including legal verification of signatures, preventing fraud and forgery by confirming the identity of the signatories, document acceptance by many institutions and government agencies, international use where notarization may be needed to facilitate the completion of an Apostille for use in a foreign country, and legal compliance.  

A power of attorney must be signed by the principal (person giving the authority).   The principles signature must also be witnessed by two (2) witnesses, and a notary must acknowledge the principal’s signature for the power of attorney to be properly executed and valid under Florida law. There are exceptions for military powers of attorney and for powers of attorney created under the laws of another state. 

Your ID must be current OR issued within the last 5 years AND bear a serial or ID number.

Drivers Licenses: 

• Issued by the Fl Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• Issued by a territory of the United States, another state, Canada or Mexico

Passports:

• Issued by the U.S. Department of State
• Issued by a foreign government, if stamped by the U.S. Department of Justice, Immigration & Naturalization Service

Identification Cards:

• Issued by the FL Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• Issued by a territory of the United States or a state other than Florida
• Issued by any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces (DD Form 2)
• Veteran Health card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, US Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services (Resident Alien)

Inmate Card:

• Issued on or after 1/1/1991 by the FL Department of Corrections for an inmate who is currently in custody of the Department. (No signature on card.)
• Issued by the US DOJ, Bureau of Prisons, for an inmate who is in the custody of the department.  
• A sworn, written statement from a sworn law enforcement officer that the forms of identification for an inmate in an institution of confinement were confiscated upon confinement, and that the person named in the document is the person whose signature is to be notarized. 

No identification:

• Sworn written statement of a credible witness who is personally known to the notary AND who personally knows the signer. OR
• Sworn written statement of two credible witnesses whose identities are proven to the notary and who personally know the signer, AND

1. The person whose signature is to be notarized is the person named in the document. 
2. The person whose signature is to be notarized is personally known to the witnesses
3. That it is the reasonable belief of the witnesses that the circumstances of the person whose signature is to be notarized are such that it would be very difficult or impossible for that person to obtain another form of identification
4. The person whose signature is to be notarized does not possess any of the identification documents specified herein; and
5. The witnesses do not have a financial interest in nor are parties to the underlying transaction.