Notary Services: Documents Not Eligible for Library Notarization

Documents already signed must adhere to notarization guidelines, as notaries are required to witness signatures at the time of notarization. However, there is an exception: acknowledgments may be signed prior to appearing before a notary.  

Documents not written in English must also follow the appropriate notarization guidelines.  

For Electronic or Remote Online Notarizations (RON), it’s essential to comply with notary restrictions as outlined in state laws.  

Incomplete documents, which are any documents containing blank spaces other than the signature and date line, cannot be accepted for notarization.  

When it comes to employment and government forms, such as the USCIS Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification), specific employment eligibility verification documents must be presented.  

Vital records, including birth, death, marriage, or divorce certificates, and citizenship or naturalization certificates, must be certified and obtained from the county clerk, local registrar, or state vital records office, keeping in mind the notary restrictions that may apply.  

School records, such as transcripts or student records requiring certification, can only be issued in certified copies by the school registrar with a school seal and tamper-proof envelope.  

Government and military identification documents, including military IDs and Government Common Access Cards (CAC), are also subject to notarization guidelines.  

For IRS and tax documents, certified IRS tax returns or transcripts should be directly obtained from the IRS to comply with notary regulations.  

Real estate and property documents, such as deeds, conveyance documents, and mortgages related to refinances, purchases, sales, and property transfers, also fall under specific notarization guidelines. Beneficial interests in land trusts are included as well.  

It’s important to note that apostilles cannot be issued by libraries, as they are not authorized to authenticate documents for international use.  

Lastly, legal and specialized documents like codicils and depositions, as well as documents signed under Power of Attorney or by an Executor, often require specialized notarial knowledge that goes beyond the basic services offered by mobile notaries.