In our increasingly global society, conducting business is no longer simply a local matter.  The sale or purchase of both goods and services no longer has geographic boundaries.  As a result, the need to help foster and maintain the integrity of documentation for transactions, is the responsibility of the notary public.  Every civilized nation depends on notaries to guard the public from document fraud. 

The notary plays a critical role in the area of law and commerce by providing vital functions including:

• Acting as an impartial and unbiased witness in the signing of documents, always disinterested in the transactions they observe. 
• Insuring a signer’s identity and that he or she is not an imposter.  Screening for identity is done through 3 methods- personal knowledge, identification documents, credible witness 
• Willingness to sign insures, that document signer’s are not being forced into signing documents against their will. When the signer does not communicate clearly or respond understandably competence is in doubt
• They compel truthfulness and deter fraud by consummating oaths, acknowledgements ant certifying copies.

In an effort to provide our clients with vital information regarding proper notary practices as it relates to their document needs, we have attached relevant articles below.  The importance of documents being notarized correctly can not be underestimated.  For it can lead to both document rejection as well as severe liability issues. 

These articles are excerpts from the National Notary Association’s Archives, the foremost authority on Notary Rules and Regulations.  We have been granted the authority to publish these articles on our website.