FAQ

HOW DO YOU PAY

Cash is the preferred method of payment unless otherwise worked out in advance.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BRING

Government photo ID is all that is needed.

IS THE NOTARY MOBILE

Yes, Q M Notary provides mobile notarial services.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE

Notaries generally take a few minutes. However loan signings can be 30-40 minutes or longer. 

HOW SOON CAN A NOTARY TAKE PLACE

As soon as today your notary can take place, depending on availability.

DO YOU SERVICE HOSPITALS, JAILS, AND OTHERS

Yes, Q M Notary does service jails and hospitals other fees may apply.

ARE EXPIRED GOVERNMENT ID’s OK

A Notary can accept an expired government ID if it’s not expired more than 5 years.

WHAT IS A JURAT

The purpose of a jurat — also known in some states as a “verification upon oath or affirmation” — is for a signer to swear to or affirm the truthfulness of the contents of a document to a Notary or Notarial officer.

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A jurat requires the following steps:

1. The signer must appear in person before you and sign the document in your presence.

2. In some states, you are required to positively identify the signer.

3. You must administer a spoken oath or an affirmation, and the signer must respond out loud. Silent answers such as a nod of the head are not acceptable.

While not required by law, it is strongly recommended that you have the signer raise his or her right hand to emphasize the seriousness of the oath or affirmation.

A jurat cannot be executed by someone offering to take the oath in someone else’s name — the original signer must swear or affirm the oath in person before the Notary.

WHAT IS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The purpose of an acknowledgment is for a signer, whose identity has been verified, to declare to a Notary or Notarial officer that he or she has willingly signed a document.

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An acknowledgment requires the following steps:

1. The signer must physically appear before you.

2. You must positively identify the signer according to your state’s rules.

3. The signer may either sign the document before appearing before you, or in your presence.

4. The signer must declare (acknowledge) signing the document for its intended purpose.

The signer must be able to directly communicate with you that he or she willingly signed the document. Arizona is the exception to this rule. Arizona state law permits a signer to communicate with a Notary through a translator who is also present at the notarization.

CAN A NOTARY GIVE ANY LEGAL ADVICE

A Notary cannot give any legal advice unless they are an attorney.

WHAT IS THE PENALTY FOR FRAUD

The penalty for fraud is 500.00-10,000.00 dollars. The punishment can include state time or federal time.

CAN BLANK DOCUMENTS BE NOTARIZED

A blank document cannot be notarized. 

CAN YOU E-DOC SIGN

Not in California.

WHAT IS A CREDIBLE WITNESS

A credible identifying witness is an individual who knows and can verify the identity of a signer. The witness appears at the time of the notarization and takes an oath or affirmation before the Notary that the signer is who they claim to be but lacks other forms of ID.

WHAT IS AN ATTORNEY IN FACT

An attorney-in-fact is a person who is authorized to perform business-related transactions on behalf of someone else such as the principal of a company. In order to become someone’s attorney-in-fact, the principal must sign a power of attorney document.

CAN SOMEONE ELSE SIGN FOR YOU

There are times when a signer urgently needs a notarization, but cannot appear in person before the Notary due to unusual circumstances such as a medical or family emergency.

If this happens, some states permit the signer to sign the document in the presence of a witness. The witness — not the signer — then appears before the Notary.

The Notary identifies and administers an oath to the witness. Then, the witness signs the document. Based upon the witness’s oath, the Notary performs the notarization. This is called a proof of execution by subscribing witness.

WHAT CAN BE DONE IF NO ID

If you don’t have ID, many states allow the use of credible witnesses. Two people could identify you before a Notary Public, sign the Notary’s journal, and produce identification themselves. But, honestly, if you need to get notarized, go down to your DMV and get a state issued identification card.

ARE ALL NOTARIES BONDED

Not all Notaries are bonded.  Always ask the Notary before you book an appointment if they’re bonded.

ARE NOTARIES ATTORNEYS

Notaries are not Attorneys. Only people who pass the state bar are attorneys. So an attorney could also be a Notary.