Question 1

WHAT IS A CALIFORNIA NOTARY PUBLIC?

Accepted Answer

A California Notary Public is a highly trained person with an office of trust, that is commissioned by the California Secretary of State to serve the public as an impartial witness in confirming the identity of individuals, taking acknowledgements, administering oaths and affirmations, and performing other acts authorized by law.
 
A Notary Public does not give legal advice, translate language or documents, finish incomplete documents, or verify that the documents are true or legally binding. The CA Notary Public only verifies the person’s identity.
 
AHD Mobile Notary based in Placerville California, provides an affordable and convenient alternative to an office appointment and will come to you.
 
We are El Dorado County's local reliable, trustworthy, and efficient mobile notary service. We strive to build lasting loyalty through our dedication to accurate and timely notarizations!

Question 2

WHAT IDENTIFICATION DO I NEED TO BRING TO HAVE A DOCUMENT NOTARIZED?

Accepted Answer

Every signer must be identified through one of the forms of ID listed in California Code 1185[b]:
 
California driver’s license or nondriver’s ID
U.S. passport (or passport card)
An inmate identification card issued by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Driver’s license or official nondriver’s ID issued by a U.S. state
Canadian or Mexican driver’s license issued by an appropriate public agency
U.S. military ID
Valid foreign passport
Employee ID issued by an agency or office of the state of California
Employee ID issued by a California city, county, or city and county
ID card issued by a federally-recognized tribal government
Valid consular identification document issued by a consulate
The oath or affirmation of one or two credible witnesses

Question 3

DOES IT MATTER IF MY NAME PRINTED ON MY DOCUMENT NEEDING NOTARIZATION DOES NOT MATCH MY ID?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it matters. The exact name and spelling MUST match your valid ID and the document that you are having notarized. To protect against fraud, notary publics are required to properly identify that the signer is who they say they are. Usually this happens when a signer is a Jr. or Sr., or has recently married or divorced but has not yet updated their ID to reflect the change of name.

Sometimes people use a nickname in social settings, but use their full formal name instead on documents. In the case of loan document signings or docs prepared by an attorney, etc., doc preparers should make sure well beforehand, to ask for copies of your valid ID, so that your name on the docs match your ID. A signer who encounters this issue, may need to request the receiving agency (whoever prepared the docs) to correct spellings on their documents, or this can delay a signing. 
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According to California law, if a signer doesn’t have a valid form of identification, that person’s identity can be established by the oaths of two credible identifying witnesses who can be called to appear before a notary and vouch for the identity of the signer.

Question 4

WHAT IS A NOTARY SIGNING AGENT (NSA) OR LOAN SIGNING AGENT (LSA)?

Accepted Answer

A Notary Signing Agent (NSA) or Loan Signing Agent (LSA) is a California Notary Public with specialized training in notarizing loan and real estate documents. A good signing agent is trained and certified by the National Notary Association (NNA).
 
AHD Mobile Notary is a certified and bonded NSA through the National Notary Association. Click Here to visit our profile listing.

Question 5

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO GET MY DOCUMENT(S) NOTARIZED?

Accepted Answer

AHD Mobile Notary  charges $15 per notary signature / notarial certificate. We also charge a $50 traveling fee up to 16 miles. If you require us to travel more than 16 miles, please ask for a quote. If you require document printing, in-person delivery, or mailing, there may also be a set fee for these services.

Question 6

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO BE NOTARIZED?

Accepted Answer

Revocable Living Trust
Amendment to Revocable Trust
Transfer Deeds to transfer real estate
Any document to be recorded
Sworn Statement
Parental Consent for Travel
Grant Deed/Quitclaim Deed
Interspousal Transfer Deed
Power of Attorney for Health Care
Advance Health Care Directive
Student Enrollment Verification
Resignation of Trustee
Bill of Sale
Purchase Agreement
Marital Settlement Agreement
Pre-nuptial Agreement
Post-nuptial Agreement

Question 7

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON TRANSACTIONS THAT REQUIRE NOTARIZATION?

Accepted Answer

Purchasing a home
Buying real estate
Selling a business
Adoption
Guardianship
Conservatorship
Legal transaction
Anything required to be recorded in county records

Question 8

WHY ARE DOCUMENTS NOTARIZED?

Accepted Answer

To provide a deterrent to fraud. As an impartial witness, Public Notaries like AHD Mobile Notary verify signers identities, and qualify that the signer(s) of document(s) are who they say they are.

Notary Publics also make sure that signer(s) have entered into agreement(s) knowingly and willingly, are of sound mind, present proper identification, and will administer an oath or affirmation when required.

Question 9

CAN I HAVE A DOCUMENT NOTARIZED IF IT’S WRITTEN IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE?

Accepted Answer

A notary public in California can notarize a document written in a foreign language, even if they cannot read or understand it. The notary's role is to identify the signer and witness their signature, not to validate the document's contents.

However, a notary must be able to communicate with the signer in a language they both understand. The notary cannot use an interpreter when performing the notarization, or a verbal oath or affirmation.

Question 10

CAN WE USE A TRANSLATOR IF THE DOCUMENT SIGNER DOES NOT SPEAK ENGLISH?

Accepted Answer

NO. A translator is not allowed. Any signer who appears before a Notary Public who does not speak the language of the signer, (besides in the State of Arizona), must speak fluent English and be able to communicate clearly during the signing. The signer must confirm, in English, that they understand what they are signing.
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It is illegal in California for a signer to use a translator during the notarization process.

Question 11

MAY A CALIFORNIA NOTARY PUBLIC GIVE LEGAL ADVICE OR DRAFT LEGAL DOCUMENTS?

Accepted Answer

NO.A California Notary Public is prohibited from preparing legal documents for others or acting as a legal advisor unless he or she is also a licensed attorney.

Violators can be fined and/or jailed for the unauthorized practice of law.

Question 12

DOES A NOTARIZATION MEAN THAT A DOCUMENT IS "TRUE" OR "LEGAL"?

Accepted Answer

NO. A California Notary Public is not responsible for the accuracy or legality of documents that they notarize. A California Notary can only certify the identity of signers. The signers are responsible for the content of the documents.
 
ON A RELATED NOTE: Sometimes attorneys or loan officers provide documents from other states that do not contain the required California certificate wording to be legally notarized in California. This can cause confusion and delay signings, and in some extreme cases, cause some documents to be rejected by the receiving authority, especially if the document is being recorded in California.
 
Usually an attached California notarial certificate will cover this issue. However if a certain document cannot be altered, then it's best to request that all documents that are to be notarized in California, also display the official California certificate wording shown below:
 
“A Notary Public or other officer completing this certificate verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document to which this certificate is attached, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of that document.”
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Question 13

DO I HAVE TO APPEAR IN-PERSON FOR NOTARIZATION OF MY DOCUMENTS?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In California, the signer must personally appear before a Notary Public at the time of notarization with proper identification. A California Notary Public cannot perform notarial services online. Remote Online Notarizations (RON) via webcam are invalid and illegal.

In California, the signing party(ies) must be physically present before the notary public.

Question 14

CAN A DOCUMENT THAT CONTAINS BLANKS, OR OTHERWISE INCOMPLETE BE NOTARIZED?

Accepted Answer

NO.A California notary public cannot notarize a document that is incomplete or contains blanks.

Question 15

CAN A CALIFORNIA NOTARY PUBLIC PREPARE OR NOTARIZE AN I-9 FORM, OR OTHER IMMIGRATION DOCUMENTS?

Accepted Answer

NO.AHD Mobile Notary is not a bonded immigration consultant / attorney which is a requirement by law for notarizing or filling out or notarizing immigration documents.

Specifically, the I-9 is an immigration document, and in California only an immigration attorney or bonded immigration consultant can assist with it. It is not notarized and a notary cannot complete it unless they are also a bonded immigration consultant.

Question 16

CAN A CALIFORNIA NOTARY PUBLIC PERFORM REMOTE ONLINE NOTARIZATIONS (RON)?

Accepted Answer

NO. A California Notary Public cannot perform notarial services online. Remote Online Notarizations (RON) via webcam are invalid and illegal. In California, all signing individuals must be physically present before the notary public.

Question 17

IS A NOTARY PUBLIC THE SAME AS "NOTARIOS PUBLICOS"?

Accepted Answer

NO. In Hispanic countries, Notarios Publicos are highly trained legal professionals akin to attorneys who provide legal advice and draft legal documents. In the United States, however, Notaries are state-commissioned officials with narrow witnessing duties and much less discretion. Many unethical individuals exploit the confusion over these different roles to take advantage of unsuspecting immigrants.

Question 18

WHAT ARE YOUR HOURS OF OPERATION?

Accepted Answer

AHD Mobile Notary is reserved by appointment only. As long as I have availability, I am happy to assist you with your mobile notary needs.
 
I can also work on weekends and holidays. To ensure availability for your appointment, please call first and as far in advance as possible. I welcome last minute and short notice mobile notary public services, and will always do my best to fulfill every mobile notary request.

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