A Notary Public is an official of integrity appointed by state government —typically by the secretary of state — to serve the public as an impartial witness in performing a variety of official fraud-deterrent acts related to the signing of important documents. These official acts are called notarizations, or notarial acts. Notaries are publicly commissioned as “ministerial” officials, meaning that they are expected to follow written rules without the exercise of significant personal discretion, as would otherwise be the case with a “judicial” official.

A Notary must screen the signers of important documents for their true identity, their willingness to sign without duress or intimidation, and their awareness of the contents of the document or transaction. Some notarizations also require the Notary to put the signer under an oath, declaring under penalty of perjury that the information contained in a document is true and correct. Property deeds, wills, and powers of attorney are examples of documents that commonly require a Notary.


Impartiality is the foundation of the Notary’s public trust. They are duty-bound not to act in situations where they have a personal interest. The public trusts that the Notary’s screening tasks have not been corrupted by self-interest. And impartiality dictates that a Notary never refuses to serve a person due to race, nationality, religion, politics, sexual orientation, or status as a non-customer.


As official representatives of the state, Notaries Public certify the proper execution of many of the life-changing documents of private citizens — whether those diverse transactions convey real estate, grant powers of attorney, establish a prenuptial agreement, or perform the multitude of other activities that enable our civil society to function.

Through the process of notarization, Notaries deter fraud and establish that the signer knows what document they’re signing and that they’re a willing participant in the transaction.

Generally, a Notary will ask to see a current ID that has a photo, physical description, and signature. Acceptable IDs usually include a Driver’s License, State ID Card, US Passport, International Passport, or Federal ID card.

Yes under any circumstances. For a Notary to notarize a document, New York State law says the person whose signature is being notarized must sign the document in the Notary’s presence. The person can’t sign the document ahead of time and then bring it to the Notary.

Notary Services
Government Offices
Public Libraries
Insurance
Mailbox Company

Yes. Effective 2/25/22, remote notarization is now authorized in New York State, per section 135-c of the executive law.