Posted by Christopher Pak on 5/9/07 12:10pm
Msg #189527

help getting started.

Hi everyone,

I am a new notary public and would like to request the knowledge of more experienced notaries. I have 2 questions for you
1) Can you give me a step by step of what to do when someone comes in for my services? What I need to do, what stamps, what documents and all that.
2) There are some people from Venezuela that are coming and asking to notarize some letters. Why do they need that letter notarized and how do I go about doing that? Also I heard that they are being charged about $200.00 for such service. Is that right?

Thanks,
Christopher

Reply by Sher_AZ on 5/9/07 12:24pm
Msg #189528

Christopher, #1. Download your SOS rules & reg's. Start from there. That will provide all the basic info you need to be a notary public. #2. If you don't know the "basic's" you shouldn't perform services.

Reply by Mickey_Fan on 5/9/07 12:26pm
Msg #189529

Christopher, if you are brand new, there are tools to help you.

First, the materials you received when you took your mandatory training to get your commission. That should explain the notarization process step-by-step, especially if you took your training from a very large organization. The process is the same whether it is an acknowledgement or a jurat in the State of California, with the exception of the oath given with the jurat.

You should also have a copy of the California notary Handbook, which explains the laws about being a Notary Public in California.

There is an orange button at the top of this forum; it says SEARCH and is INVALUABLE when it comes to finding out information. You may want to spend some time reading the archives and learning from all that has happened here before you.

As far as the people from Venezuela that need notarizations, you don't care WHY they need it notarized. Your job is to notarize their signature. California has a maximum $10 fee for notarizing a signature with an acknowledgement or a jurat, so if they are being charged $200 there are other fees involved such as travel. I have never done a notarization of a document in a language other than English, so if there is another California notary that can shed more light on this, please add your comments.

Best advice is to read the archives, read, read and read some more. You will learn a ton!

There is also a post, I don't remember the post # but it has the best information I have ever seen for new notaries. Someone help me out with the post number! It's worth reading, printing, and committing to memory!

Barbara

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 5/9/07 12:41pm
Msg #189534

Re: #33325 n/m

Reply by Mickey_Fan on 5/9/07 12:51pm
Msg #189538

Re: #33325

Thanks, Linda!

Reply by Joe Ewing on 5/9/07 12:42pm
Msg #189536

(1) Christopher where are you that someone comes in for your service and do you an untrained notary advertise notary service to the public.

(2) Why is it your business what the client is paying? Letters require a signature and you notarize that signature. Collect your $10 per signature fee. If the letters are going to Venezuela they might require Authentication and Apostille after notarization. The signer can contact the Secretary of state to have that done.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 5/9/07 7:00pm
Msg #189589

Re: help getting started.... AND

Make sure you can communicate with them directly - not through an interpreter. You don't have to be able to read the doc other than to determine that it is complete, but you can't use a translator if you don't speak the same language.