Customers seeking notarizations must bring:
- Unsigned documents to be notarized
- Originals of any documents to be copied and notarized:
- Notaries can only notarize certified copies made by library staff.
- Valid photo identification:
- Photo IDs must be current and in a language the notary understands. If an ID is not familiar to the notary, the notary has the option to refuse acceptance.
- Any witnesses required:
- Library staff cannot serve as witnesses. Customers are not allowed to ask other library patrons to serve as their witnesses.
- In order to serve as a witness, the witness must be personally known to the individual whose documents are being notarized.
- All witnesses must bring valid photo identification as described above.
DOCUMENTS THE LIBRARY CANNOT NOTARIZE
Notaries will NOT be able to notarize the following documents:
- Wills
- Trusts
- Gun sales
- Deeds
- Real estate transactions
- Titles
- I-9 forms
- Depositions
- Any documents requiring verification of facts
- Any documents in other languages than English
- Post- or pre-dated documents
- True copies of birth, death, or marriage certificates, which—by law—Virginia notaries are not authorized to certify
LIBRARY NOTARY GUIDELINES
Please be aware that LCPL notaries follow these guidelines:
- Notaries may decline to notarize unfamiliar documents or any notarization that would exceed the appointment parameters.
- Notaries may decline to notarize a document if they are uncertain of the identity or mental capacity of the signer.
- Notaries do not act as authorized representatives for employers to verify employment eligibility (specifically, USCS Form I-9).
- Photo identification should be provided by all signers, even if the signer is “known.” Acceptable forms of ID include:
- United States passport
- United States passport card
- Certificate of United States citizenship
- Certificate of Naturalization
- Foreign passport
- Alien Registration Card with photograph
- State-issued Driver’s License
- State-issued Identification Card
- Uniformed Services Identification Card.
- Notaries may not administer an oath to a non-English speaker.
A notary public is not duly trained or certified to practice law. Therefore, notaries are unable to provide assistance in prescribing or determining the particular document a customer may need; selecting the type of notarization or certificate for a given document; preparing a document or giving advice on how to fill out, draft, or complete a document; providing legal counseling or advice in a legal matter that may or may not involve a notarial act.