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Showing posts from November, 2025

How to Get Documents Notarized and Why

Are you wondering how to get documents notarized? Notarization is the official process where a state-commissioned official, known as a notary public, verifies your identity and witnesses your signature on important documents. This stamp and signature add a layer of fraud prevention, confirming that you willingly and knowingly signed the document. Finding a Notary Public Finding a notary is often straightforward. Many local businesses offer notary services, including: Banks Credit Unions Law Offices Real Estate Firms What a Notary Can Notarize A notary can witness signatures on a wide variety of documents and verify identity, but not to validate the document's content. Examples include the following:  Affidavits and Sworn Statements Powers of Attorney Real Estate Deeds and Mortgage Documents Vehicle Titles and Bills of Sale Travel Consent Forms for Minors Contracts and Business Agreements Trusting Your Notary A commissioned notary is a trusted, impartial third party required to ma...

Understanding Missouri Notary Public Responsibilities

A Missouri notary public plays a vital role in validating transactions and deterring fraud. By acting as impartial witnesses, these professionals confirm the identity and voluntary intent of individuals signing important documents. Understanding their core responsibilities helps ensure all documents are handled correctly. Taking Acknowledgments or Proofs of Written Instruments When needing an acknowledgment, individuals declare that they willingly signed a document. Hence, a notary public verifies this identity using a valid government-issued photo ID and confirms they are signing without coercion. This approach is commonly used for documents such as deeds, mortgages, and powers of attorney.  Signature Witnessing For signature witnessing, the notary observes individuals signing a document, or they affirm that the signature already on the document is theirs. This act is frequently used for contracts or business agreements. The notary’s role is to certify that the person named in th...