LAKE PLACID MOBILE NOTARY
(863) 464-0695
About Notarizations
Lake Placid Mobile Notary professionals are certified background checked Notary Signing Agents specializing in the signing of real estate secured loans but also available for a variety of document signing services. Below you will find a compilation of information about notarizations, identification, the nature of certain documents, and what Florida requires of its commissioned notaries.
What the Public Needs and Wants
to Know about Notarizations
Presence Requirement
The document signer must personally appear before the Notary at the time of notarization -- not before, not after. A telephone call from the signer or the Notary's familiarity with a signature does not constitute "personal appearance."
Identification
The Notary must identify the signer through either:
(1) personal knowledge, or
(2) vouching of personally known, reliable, uninvolved witness(es) who is/are under oath, or
(3) one or more current government-issued ID card with photograph, signature and physical description, usually a state issued driver's license or state issued ID. (Please read below about the USA Patriot Act)
Impartiality
The Notary must be impartial and disinterested and may not notarize a document bearing the Notary's name or signature or that of the Notary's spouse or relative, or any document which will in any way benefit the Notary.
The Notary Journal
The Notary must make a record of each notarization and require the document signer to affix his/her signature -- and, if necessary, a thumbprint -- in an official journal of notarial acts. Lake Placid Mobile Notary always requires a thumbprint on real estate related signings, and otherwise as deemed necessary.
About Blank Documents
The Notary must hold and scan (read quickly) the document to note unfilled blanks and to glean information (title, name of signer(s), number of pages, etc.) for recording in the journal of notarial acts. To comply with notary law, Lake Placid Mobile Notary requires blanks to be filled in prior to notarization.
Attesting to Photocopies of Originals
The Notary must not certify a copy of a birth certificate or other vital record or a copy of a recordable document such as a deed. Copies of these document must be issued only by the appropriate public records custodian. We are happy to discuss with you in advance and in detail which original documents to which we will attest to a photocopy if made by the notary. For a more complete list of documents that are not officially filed or recorded, and to which we can attest to the trueness of photocopies, jump below to the related article.
All about Identification: Who are you?
The Patriot Act was passed into law on October 24, 2001, just six weeks after the events of 9/11. The Act was recently extended and updated. You can read the Patriot Act online at this site: http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/hr3162.html
Did you know that the USA PATRIOT ACT is actually an acronym? It stands for: Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism
The Patriot Act affects those of us in the lending & title industry. The main sections of the USA Patriot Act refer to major lines of defense that financial institutions can use to fight funding of terrorism. These lines include money laundering prevention, identification of politically exposed persons and customer identification verification. That is why now more than ever we are required to get proper documentation as to the identity of a borrower/buyer. Lenders are now requiring two forms of identification, primarily a driver's license and social security card. Other acceptable forms of identification may include the following:
U.S. Passport Identification card issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, Immigration & Naturalization
Inmate Identification Card Identification card issued by any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces
Identification Card issued by a territory of the U.S., Canada or Mexico
You've been asked for a certified copy of your Social Security card -- What should you do?
One of the most often asked questions concerning attested photocopies is whether a particular document is a public record. All notaries must make a determination about this question before attesting to the trueness of any photocopy. The following are examples of public records, copies of which cannot be attested to by a notary:
Birth Certificate
Marriage Certificate
Death Certificate
Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization
Documents files in a court proceeding
Documents recorded by the Clerk of the Court
Public records maintained in government offices
Student Records
Federal or state income tax forms already filed
Professional Licenses issue by the State of Florida
Any document for which photocopying is prohibited
*This is not a complete list
The following documents can be photocopied from the original and attested to by a notary if not officially filed or recorded:
Florida Driver's License
Florida Vehicle Title
Social Security Card
Diploma
Medical Record
US Passport
Bill of Sale
Contract
Lease
Resident Alien Card
Personal Letters
The criteria notaries use consists of: 1) the document is the original; 2) the document is not a public record; and 3) the making of the photocopy is supervised by or made personally by the notary. Once the criteria is met, Lake Placid Mobile Notary uses the applicable notary certificate on the photocopy or attached to it.
Other Prohibited Acts for Florida Notaries
It is certainly not our intention to dwell on what we cannot do for you! On the contrary, we want to be helpful to community residents and business alike. So, in that effort, here are some other rules set forth by the Florida Department of State for notaries that is good information for everyone's benefit. Notaries do not:
Do not notarize a photograph.
Do not notarize a copy of a birth certificate, or any other vital recor or public record.
Do not certify a translation of a document from one language into another.
Do not provide signature guarantees. (This duty is usually performed by officials in the banking and securities industry.)
Do not certify the authenticity of objects, such as art or sports memorabilia.
Do not judge contests or certify contest results.
Do not certify a person's residency or citizenship status.
Do not prepare legal documents or immigration papers (unless notary is also an attorney licensed to practice law in Florida.)