Notaries have been around since the Roman Empire. As a result, some of the terms used may seem a little antiquated. We’ve explained those below, as well as answered a few questions.
Late Night Notary offers the following services:
Witnessing and Attesting Signatures
Perhaps one of the most common tasks of a Pennsylvania notary is witnessing or attesting signatures, which is the first line of defense against fraud. This is the act of ensuring the person identified is signing the document. This happens when instructions direct the person to “sign in the presence of a notary” or similar.
Acknowledgments
An acknowledgment is similar to the above. However, the document comes to the notary already signed. The person signing acknowledges that they signed the document and did so voluntarily.
Oaths and Affirmations
Notaries public can also administer oaths and affirmations, swearing that certain statements are true.
Copy Certification
A copy certification is where the notary confirms that a reproduction of an original document is an accurate reproduction of the original.
For costs for these services, see our notary fee schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to the most commonly asked questions.
What do I need for notarization?
All notarial services require the identification of the individual using an unexpired form of identification. Acceptable forms include:
At least one of the forms of ID must show a photo and your signature. Notaries have the discretion to require additional forms of ID. We recommend having at least two forms of ID on hand during notary service.
Do you offer e-Notary or Remote Online Notary (RON)?
eNotary services are where you bring an electronic document for notarization, and the notary public affixes a digital seal. RON digitizes the entire process, so you don’t even have to leave home (and neither do we). We are excited about this technology and have just started offering online notary services!
Do you offer signing agent services?
Yes. We are NNA and LSS Certified Signing Agents.
Do you offer title and tag services?
No, we don’t offer these services as they require additional training and certification from PennDOT. We are also awaiting more clarity as to whether or not these services can be completed by a mobile notary service (we aren’t aware of any that currently do!), as PennDOT requires a physical location (which we don’t have). We are, however, considering offering the service in the future.
Can I sign my document ahead of time?
It depends. If we are presented with a document with a preexisting signature that states “sign in the presence of a notary” or something similar, we cannot notarize the document. Read the instructions carefully and ask any questions you have of an attorney or the document recipient.