What is a Notary?

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.
For more info on understand a notary’s role check out the NNA (National Notary Association)

What are your prices?

Find my starting prices here.
All services are priced according to WA state law and travel fees are a flat rate depending on location, distance, number of notarizations or time it’ll take to complete the job. Final price quotes will be given when confirming your appointment if we have all the information we need ahead of time.
WA state law has a maximum fee allowed per notarizations. But travel fees or online notarization fees will be extra.

What is a Remote Online Notarization (RON) and can you do them?

 At this time, I am not performing RON.

WA state notaries are required to sign up with at least one approved platform that is a tamper-evident technology. Remote online notarization allows documents to be notarized in electronic form with the signer signing with an electronic signature and appearing before a commissioned electronic notary online via audio-video technology. The documents will be signed virtually with a Washington State approved digital stamp. This allows anyone with an Internet connection to get documents signed and notarized online.

What is the difference between Electronic Notarization and Remote Online Notarization?

Remote online notarization should not be confused with face-to-face electronic notarization, where documents are similarly notarized in electronic form and with an electronic signature – usually by a notary who brings a laptop or tablet to the signing meeting. However, these notarizations are conducted in the physical presence of a notary public, meaning you must still schedule a time and place to meet with a notary or mobile notary.

How does Mobile Notarization work?

I come to you! Whether at a health facility or meeting at your home, office or at a local café, our goal is to provide convenience for you and the signing of your important documents.
A travel fee will be applied after the notarization fee. I base my travel fees on time and distance. I do not charge by the mile, just a flat rate.

Can a notary perform notarial acts for documents in another language or for those who do not speak English?

There is nothing in state law that forbids a notary public from notarizing a document written in a foreign language or for a signing party that does not speak English. However, the notary must be sure they can still meet the requirements for performing a notarial act. A notary is generally not responsible for confirming the contents of a document (outside of certifying a copy, but that has unique standards), however, they do need to make sure the correct notarial certificate is on the document. As of July 1, 2018, all notarial certificates must either be in English, or in dual-languages where one of the languages is English, so the notary should be able to identify the certificate on a document being notarized.

What do I need to know about an Apostille?

When documents will be used outside the United States in courts or other official capacities, they usually must be verified through a process called an apostille. Apostilles are performed by the Washington Secretary of State’s office (or state of origination), who verify the commission of the person who notarized the documents. One of the key differences between apostilles and notarizations is that notarizations are handled by notary publics, whereas apostilles are handled by the Secretary of State’s office. A notary cannot perform an apostille but a notary can help facilitate you obtaining the Apostille. It can be a very tricky and confusing process.
I recommend checking here for more information

Can a notary offer legal advice with my documents?

No, a Notary Public is not an attorney, judge or high-ranking official and therefore, not able to give legal advice. If you have questions regarding your documents or how to proceed with the signing, contact your Title Company, lender or lawyer.

Who can be a witness?

If your document requires a witness(es), the witness(es) need to be present at the time of the signing, have valid picture ID, and should not have a financial or other interest in the agreement. Witnesses also cannot be caregivers or any medical staff. A neutral third party would be the best choice. If a witness is needed, I can provide a person for a fee.

What forms of ID are acceptable for notarizations?

In accordance with RCW 42.45.050

A notarial officer has satisfactory evidence of the identity of an individual appearing before the officer if the officer can identify the individual:

(a) By means of:

(i) A passport, driver's license, or government-issued nondriver identification card, which is current or expired not more than three years before performance of the notarial act; or

(ii) Another form of government identification issued to an individual, which is current or expired not more than three years before performance of the notarial act, contains the signature or a photograph of the individual, and is satisfactory to the officer; or

(b) By a verification on oath or affirmation of a credible witness personally appearing before the officer and personally known to the officer and who provides satisfactory evidence of his or her identity as described in (a) of this subsection.

(3) A notarial officer may require an individual to provide additional information or identification credentials necessary to assure the officer of the identity of the individual.

A notarial officer has personal knowledge of the identity of an individual appearing before the officer if the individual is personally known to the officer through dealings sufficient to provide reasonable certainty that the individual has the identity claimed.