According to Douglas Ganslet, Maryland Attorney General and President-Elect of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) [Notaries] "have to be honest and preserve your integrity because you are the guarantors of trust." In times when identity theft is rampant and fraud is at an all-time high, being a Notary Public - a guarantor of trust - has never been a more important job. Notaries witness signatures and verify a document's validity and, sometimes, take depositions. In reality, Notaries do much more. We help prevent fraud, we serve as an impartial witness, and we engender a trust that the critical documents we rely upon every day are authentic. Today's Notary Public helps to enable our civil society to function.
The basic notarization consists of identifying the type of document to be signed (this will identify the type of service required, (an acknowledgment, a jurat, etc.)), identifying the individual, documenting the act by recording vital information in a Journal of Notarial Acts, administering required oaths (and possibly ensuring that the signer is coherent, understands what they are signing, and has not been coerced), witnessing the signature, and applying the notary seal to the document. The Notary's service does not end after placing the seal on the document... a Notary may be called to verify that they were present at a signing and that they have evidence of the event. At On Call Notary, LLC, we take our responsibility seriously and perform every notarial act with respect and dignity - but most of all - we perform every act within (and beyond) the parameters of the law of the Commonwealth of Virginia. For added security, we record every transaction in a Journal of Notarial Acts, and we request a fingerprint for every transaction. While the notary journal and fingerprints are not required by laws governing Notaries Public in the Commonwealth of Virginia, they represent best practices and help deter fraud. Most of all, these safeguards help protect the most important individual involved in the notarial act - YOU.
Please see our 'Fees' page for a list of notary and travel fees.
Please see our "ID" page for information about required identification.