A notary, often referred to as a notary public, is a public officer granted by law to serve the public in non-confrontational matters. These matters that a notary will be called into use for can be concerned with estates, deeds, powers-of-attorney, the notarizing of government documents, and business law.

-The main job functions of a notary public vary. A notary public is often required to give oaths and affirmations, take affidavits and statutory declaration, and witness and authenticate certain types of documents. All of those actions are considered to fall under the job category of notarizing. The term notary public only refers to common law notaries. These common law notary publics should not be confused with civil law notaries.

For the purposes of authentication, notarizing any personal documents is necessary before they can be used or officially recorded to have any legal effect. The process of notarizing a document begins with a notary public witnessing the signature of the party involved in the legal issue. The notary then stamps the document with a notary seal, giving the document official legal power. A notary then attaches a notarial certificate to the document, making it valid. The person or people who appear before the notary are known sometimes as “appearers.”

-After notarizing the original documents, the originals or duplicate original documents are then filed and stored in the archives of a notary for possible future proof or reference.

-Every United States lawyer or court reporter is required to be a legalized notary public, capable of notarizing documents and performing other notary duties when necessary.

-A notary public must be appointed by a government authority, such as a court. It’s also possible for the a Society or Faculty of Notaries Public to appoint a notary. For a notary-at-law, the position is usually life-long. However, a notary public known as a lay notary is temporarily commissioned for a short term. This lay notary may have the possibility of having the position extended or renewed.

-There are an estimated 4.5 million individuals who hold the title of notary public in the United States. Notarizing is an important act in any legal process as signatures and acknowledgment of actions are a universal requirement for document authentication.

-In some countries and states, a notary public must undergo a special training course to learn how to correctly perform their notarizing duties. An individual training to be a notary public may also required to serve as an apprentice before being licensed to practice their profession. In many countries, even licensed attorneys must follow a special order of study to become a notary public. They also may be required to have a mentor for two years before being allowed to practice as a notary.

-Many a notary public in the United States falls under the category of lay notary. A notary public may not participate in any activity that could be construed as the practice of law unless they are also qualified attorneys.