Posted by Erika Murillo on 10/11/06 12:12am
Msg #151622

Notarizing a doc - California

Help!
How do I go about notarizing a document. I'm suppose to notarize a document not a sigunature. I haven't done something like this before. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

Reply by BarbaraL_CA on 10/11/06 12:25am
Msg #151625

Notaries do not notarize documents - they notarize signatures on documents having positively identified the signer.

Reply by Gerry_VT on 10/11/06 12:26am
Msg #151626

Do you mean there is a document that has not been signed by anyone, and never will be signed by anyone but you, and you've been asked to notarize it?

Reply by Erika Murillo on 10/11/06 12:30am
Msg #151627

Correct. It's a document identifying a person does not have a criminal record and its sign by a police chief. They are asking me to notarize that the document is legit.?

Reply by CaliNotary on 10/11/06 12:36am
Msg #151630

Think about it logically. How would you be expected to know if the document is legit or not?

Reply by BarbaraL_CA on 10/11/06 12:37am
Msg #151631

Who is "they"? The "non-signer"?

Is "they" aware that a document that is notarized (and of course signed) does not make it legal? Many people think if a document is notarized then it's legal.

You can not tell them what to do, they should seek legal advice.

Reply by SheilaSJCA on 10/11/06 12:33am
Msg #151628

I have done these before- But it has always been at the police dept or sherrifs office. You are notarizing the signature of the person who signed the letter, which could be the police chief or his assistant who signs it.

Reply by Erika Murillo on 10/11/06 12:35am
Msg #151629

That's what I thought. I was giving a document with the Police Chief signature already on, but I'm assuming I need to have him sign the journal or else I can't notarize anything, right?

Reply by Lee/AR on 10/11/06 12:44am
Msg #151633

If it's an Acknowledgement, the 'signer' has to appear before you and 'acknowledge' that 'yes, that is his signature'. If a Jurat, he must sign (or re-sign) that doc in your presence.
In either case, you have to actually SEE the signer to notarize his signature.

Reply by Erika Murillo on 10/11/06 12:49am
Msg #151634

Thank you all for your input. This helped a lot!

Reply by Gerry_VT on 10/11/06 4:46am
Msg #151659

Police and notaries

Police officers have to have things notarized so often that Vermont has a law making all police officers ex-officio notaries, so the police officer can just go to the guy at the next desk to get a document notarized.

Reply by janCA on 10/11/06 1:14pm
Msg #151741

My oh my.....

Erika, If you have to ask this very simple Notary 101 question, you really need to go back to your CA notary Handbook and read it cover to cover.