What is a Notary Public?

We often hear the question “What is a notary public?”. A notary public is an individual commissioned by the State of Oklahoma to verify the identity of signers, and the notary public OKC is required to be bonded by a private insurance company. Oklahoma notaries get their commission directly from the Oklahoma Secretary of State, and a notary public OKC must carry and use a special stamp or seal. The seal or stamp a notary public OKC uses verifies that the mobile notary’s signature is true and authentic. An Oklahoma notary public must ensure that he or she signs his or her name the same way in which it is on record with the Oklahoma Secretary of State. That way if anyone ever questions whether or not an Oklahoma notary public’s signature is authentic, one can compare the notary public Oklahoma City with the official signature that the Oklahoma City notary public already has on file.

What is a Notary Public in Oklahoma?

An Oklahoma notary public serves to verify the identity of people who wish to officially sign a wide array documents (i.e., wills, contracts, car titles transfers, jurats, home loans, etc.). Oklahoma mobile notaries must always getting an oral or written affirmation from the affiant that the information contained within the document is true and correct. A notary public Oklahoma City can also notarize simpler things such as a letter from one person to another.

Sometimes a mobile notary OKC will even get a call to notarize and thus confirm that a copy of a person’s driver’s license or marriage license is a true and accurate copy of the original. The Oklahoma notary public must ensure, of course, that the person also has the original document (i.e., driver’s license) with him or her, and should inspect it to see if it appears to be legal and valid. This type of Oklahoma notary service can come in especially handy for individuals who do not have their passport readily available.

As mentioned earlier, a notary public OKC must always ensure that he or she can verify the identity of the individual. This can be done in one of several ways. Generally speaking, an Oklahoma City mobile notary will help make certain that a person is who he or she claims it to be by asking for identification such as a passport, driver’s license, etc. Having an identification with a photo and a signature is especially important in Oklahoma. That way the mobile notary OKC can verify the stated identity, and then the notary public Oklahoma City can compare the individual’s signature pattern on the new document with what is on the driver’s license.

In some cases the mobile notary Oklahoma City might already be quite familiar with someone. That person might be a friend, a regular customer at a bank, etc. In this case, it is not necessary for the Oklahoma notary public to require identification. Unless the person is known to have a twin, it could become quite a nuisance for the Oklahoma mobile notary to have him or her show identification over and over again.

Sometimes a notary public OKC or an OKC mobile notary can have enough reasonable belief to suspect that the identity (i.e., driver’s license) someone presents is not legitimate. Certain forms of identification increasingly having enhanced security features which can make it more difficult to forge. However, forging a document is not impossible for someone with the proper skills and knowledge to do.

If an Oklahoma notary public ever has any doubts, then the Oklahoma City notary public has the right to request another form of suitable identification. If the individual cannot or otherwise refuses to provide such additional verification of his or her identity to the notary public Oklahoma City, then the notary public OKC can simply decline to notarize the document. An OKC mobile notary is never under any legal obligation to notarize anything, when the mobile notary OKC believes that the documents to be notarized or the identity of the signer might be false.

There are some other very important things that a notary public Oklahoma City must also keep in mind when performing his or her official duties in Oklahoma. Mobile notaries OKC are not allowed by law to notarize documents for their family members. They should also not notarize a will or other item for someone else which grants them money, empowers them to become someone’s attorney-in-fact, etc.

Notarizing documents from family members or where a mobile notary OKC stands to profit is not necessarily illegal and unethical, but it may draw some of the items the Oklahoma City notary public has just notarized into question. Someone could call into question the notary public OKC’s intentions and other motivations, especially if the notary public OKC notarized a will. It is important to remember that an OKC notary public serves as a disinterested party who has no vested interest in the matter, other than to verify the identity of those signing the documents.

Oklahoma notaries public are also not permitted to notarize something and then date it before or after the actual day the person signed it. This is simply not legal for the notary public OKC to do. The same holds true if the person presenting the document has already dated the item differently than the date he or she is signing it. The date of the signing as stated on the document must always match the actual date.

Another important thing for a notary public Oklahoma to remember is that a person seeking to have something notarized may not sign a document, prior to bringing it before the Oklahoma City notary public to have it notarized. In addition, an Oklahoma mobile notary should ensure that the client has not already filled out the document and has not left it blank.

As stated earlier, someone who brings a document before a notary public Oklahoma City must affirm before the mobile notary OKC that the information contained in the document is correct and true. This is why it is not permitted for a notary public OKC to notarize a document that the client has left blank or partially incomplete. It provides the opportunity for another person to add information in the blank spaces without affirming it to be true before an Oklahoma notary public.

A notary public Oklahoma City must also take care to never knowingly notarize a document on behalf of another notary public OKC.  Notarizing something for someone else without that person’s signature is strictly prohibited. Any Oklahoma notary public official in Oklahoma who knowingly does so can face fines and/or be incarcerated. Likewise, anyone who unlawfully uses a notary public’s stamp and/or signs his or her name on the notary public OKC’s signature line without first receiving the appropriate commissioned can also wind up in a world of trouble.

It goes without saying that Oklahoma notaries should take care to ensure that they familiarize themselves with the laws of their state. Oklahoma has specific laws which can help guide mobile notaries OKC as they perform their duties. Other organizations offer special courses which will provide nationally recognized certifications for Oklahoma mobile notaries. These types of meritorious programs not only help an Oklahoma City notary public perform his or her duties better, but they can also help make clients, especially loan signing companies and banks, feel more at ease. Of course, sometimes knowing the laws is simply not enough, as mistakes can still happen.

Many Oklahoma mobile notaries also carry some type of errors and omissions (E&O) insurance.  This protects both them and the clients they serve, in the event a mobile notary OKC makes a mistake. Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers and Private Investigators requires all of its Oklahoma mobile notaries to carry at least $100,000 of E&O insurance. This helps put our clients’ minds at ease, while protecting the company as well. Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers and Private Investigators has never had any claims pursued against its Oklahoma notary public division.

One question many people often ask Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers and Private Investigators is, “What is the difference between a notary public OKC and a mobile notary Oklahoma City?” In essence, an Oklahoma notary public and a mobile notary OKC are both commissioned to notarize documents. The term “Oklahoma mobile notary” tends to refer to exactly what the title implies: a notary public OKC who is willing to be an Oklahoma mobile notary and travel to other individuals. Any notary public OKC can work only from an office, can travel to meet with clients, or may do both.

Oklahoma’s laws dictate that a notary public may not charge more than $5.00 per signature for standard notary public OKC signings. In essence, if a person comes to an Oklahoma notary public and asks to have something notarized, then the OKC notary public cannot raise the price beyond the set $5.00 per time. However, if a mobile notary OKC goes to someone’s house, over to a bank, etc., then the notary public Oklahoma City may charge whatever price he or she desires.

This does not necessarily mean that a client will pay the price the Oklahoma mobile notary has requested, so sometimes the notary public OKC and the client have to negotiate. Likewise, someone serving as an Oklahoma mobile notary is performing a professional job and should be paid fairly. It is important to keep in mind that Oklahoma mobile notaries often have to cover such things as the cost of the fuel for their vehicles, wear and tear on their cars, Oklahoma notary public commission fees, notary public OKC stamps and ink, notary public OKC books, liability insurance, as well as the Oklahoma mobile notary’s valuable time.

The professional Oklahoma mobile notaries at Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers and Private Investigators have dedicated themselves to their profession. They work very diligently and will accurately take care of all of your Oklahoma City notary public needs at a price you can afford. Please contact the prestigious notary public Oklahoma City division of Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers and Private Investigators, whenever you or anyone you know is in need of the best possible notary public OKC service in Oklahoma!

If you are still asking yourself, “What is a notary public?”, visit the notary public FAQ for more information.  You may also contact an Oklahoma notary public at (405) 593-3515 or by e-mail today!   Why wait?  Get a wonderful notary public OKC to notarize your documents for you now!