Frequently-Asked Questions

Two forms of ID are required, unless I know the signer personally. Please note that they must be current, not expired. Only original documents, not photocopies or scanned images, are acceptable in Connecticut.

Primary ID must be photo identification issued by a federal or state government. Commonly-used primary ID include a driver's license, passport, "green card", state-issued non-driver's ID, pistol permit, and military ID. Photo ID must also contain a written signature. Passports from other countries are acceptable ID in Connecticut.

Secondary ID must contain a written signature, but does not need a photo. Examples of commonly-used secondary ID include signed credit cards or debit cards and work IDs. (I do not want to know any credit card or debit card numbers!)

There are more detailed answers under What kind of identification do I need? on this Page.

If you have questions, please call me at 860-543-2334.

Yes I can, if you and I can find somebody who knows both your grandmother and me personally and is willing to swear that her name is the same as that on the Living Will.

The key to notarizing a document for someone without the kinds of identification listed is "... an individual who is 'personally known' to the Notary. Like all witnesses, the credible-witness should be honest, competent and ideally, without interest in the transaction." (Connecticut Notary Public Manual, Section 4.5, "Credible Witness Acknowledgement")

18 years old or older. Usually the difficulties for anyone under 18 are getting legally-acceptable ID and being legally responsible under Connecticut law.

Please contact an attorney to have the signature of anyone under age 18 notarized.

I will go anywhere in Connecticut that is safe and is convenient for the signer. I meet people in their offices, homes, coffee shops, or other convenient places. Connecticut Notaries Public are authorized to notarize anywhere in Connecticut. The fees for travel set by the State of Connecticut are listed on this Page.

If you think it would be too expensive for me to travel to where the signer is, I will help you find a Notary Public who is closer. Please call me at 860-543-2334.

Yes! The notarization will be honored throughout the United States. Any Notary Public in the United States can notarize the signature(s) on a document with a Notarial Certificate. The notarization will be honored throughout the United States.

Most countries also accept most other country's notarizations. When in doubt, check with the government where you expect your document to be used.

Yes! As long as we meet in Connecticut, I can notarize your signature on your document. I cannot notarize any document when I am physically outside the borders of Connecticut.

If you need help finding a Notary Public near you, I will do my best to help you find a local Notary. Please call me at 860-543-2334.

Yes. Every signer must be free from the influence of alcohol or non-prescription drugs.

Prescription drugs can impair people's ability to think clearly or express themselves well. Please schedule your Notary Public appointment accordingly.

People in hospitals or convalescent hospitals sometimes are not oriented in time and place (they don't know what year it is or where they are), do not understand the consequences of signing, or are otherwise confused. I am neither a medical professional nor a mental health expert. I must rely on my layman's common sense when determining whether a person appears competent and understands the consequences of signing. The signer and I will have a brief chat and I will decide based on that conversation whether I believe the potential signer's signature can be notarized at that time.

There is absolutely no appeal if I believe, in my layman's opinion, that a potential signer is not mentally competent. I may, however, give suggestions about how the situation might be resolved.

"The Notary Public is a public official appointed by the Secretary of the State through the power vested in the Secretary by state law. The Notary has the power to administer oaths, take acknowledgments and perform other duties as permitted by law.

[...] A Notary Public does not have the training or authority to prepare legal documents or recommend a course of action in legal transactions. Any person who is in need of such assistance should be advised to consult an attorney." (Connecticut Notary Public Manual, Section 1.1)

A Mobile Notary Public is a commissioned Notary Public who travels to people who need signatures notarized, rather than the people having to travel to a Notary.

A Mobile Notary Public is sometimes called a Traveling Notary Public.

Connecticut state law sets the fees that Notaries Public may charge. The quick answer is $5.00 per notarization plus travel expenses; there is a full discussion of Connecticut Notary Public fees on this Page.

If you can take the time to travel to your bank during banker's hours and have your signature notarized there, then please do!. I encourage people to save money where they can do so without inconvenience or sacrificing quality.

If you prefer to have your notarizations done when and where it is convenient for you, then please give me a call at 860-543-2334.

"Notaries Public" is correct. "Notary Public" is one of the terms in which the adjective follows the noun, therefore the plural goes with the noun, not the adjective. Think of it as being similar to Attorneys General and mothers-in-law.

Yes. In the United States, only "Notary Public" (or "Notaries Public") is correct.

Despite being able to find the term "Notary Republic" on the Web, and it having been used by people who should know better, only "Notary Public" should be used.

"Notary Republic" is based on mishearing "Notary Public", or thinking about "... for the Republic for which it stands ..." in the familiar Pledge.

Connecticut state law sets the fees that Notaries Public may charge for notarizations: "The fee for any act performed by a Notary Public, in accordance with the provisions of the general statutes, is five dollars ($5.00) plus an additional thirty-five cents ($0.35) for each mile traveled." (Connecticut Notary Public Manual, Section 8.0)

Please note that the thirty-five-cents-per-mile rate was established long ago, a long time before gasoline was above $2.00 per gallon. These days you can expect to pay a gas surcharge so that your cost per mile is approximately equal to the current Internal Revenue Service's stated costs for operating a car. Other fees may be charged for photocopying, courier service, late-night appointments, et cetera. Most people do not need additional services, so they pay only the statutory fees. When in doubt, please call 860-543-2334.

A Notary Signing Agent is a commissioned Notary Public who has had special training in the handling of loan documents (mortgages, refinances, reverse mortgages, et cetera). A Notary Signing Agent is almost always a Mobile Notary Public.

Having performed more than 2,500 flawless loan signings, you can be sure I'll do a good job.

A Certified Notary Signing Agent is supposed to have had training and real experience in loan closings.

There is no government agency which certifies Notary Signing Agents. Several private organizations, including the National Notary Association, sell certification based on tests they have devised. Such "certification" is worth only the reputation of the certifying organization. Some certifications are worthless, and mean only that the "certified" Notary Public has paid a fee. (No names will ever be given due to the laws of slander and libel!)

Yes, I was certified by the National Notary Association.

The National Notary Association's Certification Test does have some value. Not everyone who takes the test passes. It is not a take-it-until-you-pass test, as some others are. It does require real-world experience with loan closings changes in order to pass. Also, one must re-certify periodically to ensure that the NSA is staying up to date with changes in loan documents.

No! I took the certification examination more out of curiosity than anything else. I found it interesting to test my knowledge of loan documents and signing procedures. My fees did not change, nor will they.

Yes! I have passed the background screening through the National Notary Association.

The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act deals with maintaining the privacy of financial and other private information of consumers. Information about the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act can be found at the Federal Trade Commission website or by using Google or other search engines.

"Notary Signing Service" is sometimes used as another term for a Notary Signing Agent.

"Notary Signing Service" may mean what Notary Signing Agents call a signing service, a firm that charges an additional fees to find Notary Signing Agents to perform loan signings for title companies or lenders.

You will need two pieces of ID, unless I know you personally. Please note that they must be current, that is, not expired. Only original documents, not photocopies, are acceptable in Connecticut.

Your primary ID must have been issued by a federal government or a state government. It must have your photograph (or physical description) and your signature on it. The most common examples are passports (issued by the United States or other countries), drivers' licenses (and state-issued non-drivers' IDs), and pistol permits. Military IDs, both active-duty and retired, are also very much acceptable as primary identification. A "Green Card" is also acceptable.

Your secondary ID does not need to have a photo on it but it must contain your signature; typically used are work IDs and signed credit cards or debit cards. ("See ID" is not your name, so it can't possibly be your signature. You are required to sign your credit card or debit card for your own protection.)

Social Security Cards and Birth Certificates are specifically excluded from use as IDs by the Connecticut Notary Handbook. (Connecticut Notary Public Manual, Section 4.4, "Determining Identity")

The Municipal Identification Card being issued by New Haven, CT cannot be accepted as primary identification. The card (or a similar card issued by another municipality) is neither federal nor state identification, as required by the Connecticut Notary Handbook. If the Connecticut Secretary of State issues a directive stating that the New Haven card is to be accepted, or a future edition of the Connecticut Notary Handbook allows the use of such a card, then I will accept it. You may expect to see that change noted here, if it happens.

The identification you present must match the name on the document(s) to be notarized. Your ID may contain more name information than your document, but not less. For example, if your driver's license says "Mary Elizabeth Smith" and the Power of Attorney says "Mary E. Smith", I will be happy to notarize your signature. If, on the other hand, your Pistol Permit says "John M. Jones" and the affidavit you want notarized says "John Morgan Jones" I would not be allowed to notarize your signature unless you could provide additional identification that says you are John Morgan Jones.

For people who have changed their names through marriage, divorce, et cetera, you must have identification matching the document(s) to be notarized. A Connecticut Notary Public cannot accept a marriage license plus identification with your previous name. If I officiated at your wedding I will consider it an honor to notarize your signature without further identification!

If you have any questions about acceptable identification that are not answered on this Page please call me at 860-543-2334.

Almost anyone can become a Connecticut Notary Public. Here are the steps.

First, you must be eighteen years old or older and a Connecticut resident. People eighteen or over who live outside Connecticut and have a principal place of business in Connecticut may also apply to be a Connecticut Notary.

Second, as part of your application you must take the written test, writing your answers in your own handwriting. You must get 100% of your answers correct. All of the answers to the Notary Public Exam questions are found in the Notary Public Handbook. No Notary Public who takes the office seriously will give you the Notary Public exam answers. Your signature on your application must be notarized; you will pay the statutory fee of $5.00 (plus travel) for that notarization.

Third, you should be aware that the non-refundable fee to apply to become a Connecticut Notary Public is $120.00. If you pass the written test, you will have to pay $10.00 to your Town or City Clerk when you take your oath of office. Connecticut Notaries Public are permitted to charge only $5.00 per notarization. In order to recoup your initial $135.00 investment, you will have to perform 27 notarizations just to break even. If you choose to get a journal of Notarial acts, a stamp, and an embossing seal, as I have, you must add those costs to your expense of becoming a Notary Public.

Fourth, a Connecticut Notary Public "... is disqualified from performing a Notarial act if the Notary is a signatory of the document to be notarized." (That means that you cannot notarize your own signature, even if someone else is also signing the document.) Connecticut Notaries Public are expected to disqualify themselves "... where the Notary has some beneficial interest, or which involve family members." In simple terms, the prudent Notary Public will not notarize for relatives. No sensible Notary would ever notarize a contract from which the Notary or a family member would benefit.

The Connecticut Notary Public Manual is revised without notice to the public or to current Notaries Public. If you would like to become a Connecticut Notary Public, you may download the Connecticut Notary Public Manual in PDF format at www.ct.gov/sots/LIB/sots/LegislativeServices/forms/NotaryManual.pdf. All of the material that you will need to pass the test is in the Manual. If you decide to apply, I will gladly notarize your signature on your application.

Please confirm all of the fees with the Notary Public Division of the Secretary of State's Office before you submit an application.