We have all had documents that needed to be signed by a notary at some point or other. Unless you are a notary, odds are you have had to seek out their services to transfer car titles, to make contracts, and more. There are a range of things that a notary can do, and a notary acknowledgment is just one of them.
What Is a Notary?
It is helpful that before you ever try to understand what a notary does, that you understand what they are. A notary is a public official that is given their authority by the state government in the state where they live. They are able to notarize or officiate documents like car titles, contracts and more.
A notary public is also considered a ministerial official. This means that they have a set of written rules and guidelines that they have to follow to be able to keep their identification number and in order to keep their position as a notary public.
To become a notary you have to go through a course to learn about the job, and you do have to apply. Your state may have specific qualifications that you have to follow. It is always best to take the time to determine what the requirements for your state are before you apply.
In order to keep your notary ID, you do have to reapply and pay your fees each year. You also have to follow the set of rules that have been set forth by your state to stay in compliance and to ensure that your own practices are above board.
What is a Notary Acknowledgement?
A notary acknowledgment is a sworn statement by the notary that they witnessed a particular person sign a document. In order for them to be able to sign this, they have to be able to see a photo ID of the individual and actually witness them sign the document. They can then put their seal and signature on the document, and it will be considered notarized.
Not all documents need to be notarized. There are a few that do, however:
- Mortgages
- Employment contracts
- Certified copies
- Passport documents
- Commercial leases
- Car title transfers
- Articles of incorporation and more
These are all documents that need to be notarized to help prevent fraud and to help prevent people from lying on them to deceive another or for their own personal gain.