How to Get a Notary Stamp

Real estate documents such as deeds often need to be signed and stamped by a notary public, whose job is to act as an official witness during the signing of court documents, and then verify the authenticity of the document by signing it himself/herself.

1. Begin by finding a notary who can sign and stamp the documents for you. You might be able to find a notary at the organization that issued you the documents, but if you do not, there are many other places where you can look.

• The most common place to look when you want to find a notary public is a local bank; banks deal with a large number of legal documents that need to be notarized or certified, owing to which most banks will have an on-staff notary available. Banks have documents notarized for free for their account holders, but if you cannot find a notary at your own bank, you can pay a small fee at any bank in order to get a notary stamp on your documents.
• Legal offices are also a good place to find a notary, and in addition, you can also look for one at post offices or mailing centers, which deal with numerous legal documents daily, which need to be stamped by a notary before they can be sent forward.
• Search online for a notary in your locality – there are numerous sites built specifically for this purpose. Make sure you narrow your search down by province and then by city.
• Schools also often keep a certified notary on staff, so you can visit your local school to find a notary.

2. When going to get your documents notarized, make sure you take the original document with you. It is essential to note that you must not sign the document beforehand – the notary’s job is to witness the signing, so make sure you sign in front of the notary. In addition to taking the documents along, you also need to take some form of identification – this should be state-issued identification, such as your passport or driver’s license.

3. Make sure all concerned parties are present, along with the notary. Everyone should know what is being signed – e.g. if it is a deed, explain what it is for, who will be signing it, and for what purpose. Then, proceed to have the document signed, with the notary acting as a witness. Once the document has been signed, the notary will sign and stamp it himself/herself as well.