Preparing for Your Notary Appointment

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Prepare Your Documents

It is the client's responsibility to obtain and prepare the documents that require notarization.
It is against CA notary law for a Notary Public to provide documents or prepare them as it is considered to be the unauthorized practice of law.
If you require assistance with determining what documents you need for a specific situation, you should consult with a lawyer or other authorized professional prior to scheduling your notary appointment.
Once you have the necessary documents for notarization, please take the necessary time to ensure that all blank spaces are completely filled in prior to your appointment.
The signers can complete and initial any items but they should not sign any documents until the notary appointment.

California requires a Notary Public to verify the identity of a person using satisfactory evidence, which includes identification documents or credible witnesses.
Examples of identification documents include identification card or driver's license issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles, passport. inmate identification card, a consular identification document, etc. For a full list of acceptable identification documents, visit
the California Secretary of State Notary Public Handbook - page 10.

Identification documents must be:

Current or issued within the last 5 years.
Have a photograph, physical description, identifying number, and signature of the person being identified.

In the event that identification documents have been lost or stolen, two credible witnesses can be used. The credible witnesses must know the signer and not have a financial interest in the transaction. They must also swear or affirm to the identify of the signer and that they do not have valid identification available that can be used to verify their identity.
Credible witnesses must have valid photo identification, present it to the Notary Public, and sign the notary journal.

Review your documents to determine who needs to be available for the notary appointment.
Some states require that documents are witnessed by 1-2 witnesses as well as notarized at the same time. This would mean that in addition to the signers, you would need to ensure that witnesses are available to watch you sign the documents.
If the signers do not speak English, it will be necessary to arrange for a Notary Public who speaks the specific language of the signers. California notary law does not allow for translators during a notarization. The signer and Notary Public must be able to communicate directly using the same language. Please let us know if you require the Notary Public to speak an additional language so we can accommodate.
When choosing a date/time/location, it is important to make it convenient to all parties. As your preferred Notary Public, we will do our best to accommodate your specific needs.
It is also possible to arrange for signing in several locations to ensure all parties who need to sign are able to do so in a timely manner. Please feel free to reach out to us to discuss any special requests or accommodations.

Now that you have completed the most important steps, you are ready for a stress-free notary appointment.
Contact us today to schedule a notary appointment that fits your schedule. We can also meet you wherever you need to meet. If you or the signers have a primary language other than English, let us know so we can accommodate.
Castillo Mobile Notary Services is available 24/7, evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Visit our scheduling link today!
We look forward to meeting with you and your clients.
Don't hesitate to contact us with any questions at (951) 394-2366.

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