To get a statement notarized, bring the unsigned document and a valid government-issued photo ID to a notary public, confirm your identity, and sign the document in the notary’s presence. The notary then completes a short certificate, signs it, and applies an official seal. Fees run from about $2 to $25 per signature depending on the state, with mobile visits and remote online sessions costing more. Start to finish, the appointment usually takes just a few minutes.
What to Bring, and What Not to Do First
Do not sign the statement ahead of time. Signature and date lines have to stay blank until you are in front of the notary, whether in person or on a live video call. A notary who sees a pre-signed document may refuse to proceed, because the whole point of the ceremony is that they witness the signing.
Everything else in the document should already be filled in. Names, addresses, dates, dollar amounts, and any descriptive fields need to be complete before you arrive. Notaries are expected to turn away documents with blank spaces in the body, since an empty field could be altered after notarization to say something you never agreed to.
You also need current, government-issued photo identification. A driver’s license, state ID card, or valid passport works in every state. Some states also accept military IDs or permanent resident cards. Expired ID rules vary: certain states accept an ID that expired within the past three to five years, while others require it to be current. Check your state’s rule before the appointment so you are not turned away at the counter.
If You Don’t Have Acceptable ID
Many states let a notary verify your identity through a credible witness, meaning someone who personally knows you, has their own valid ID, and swears under oath that you are who you say you are. The witness has to appear with you. Not every state allows this, and some require two witnesses rather than one, so call ahead to confirm.
Pick the Right Certificate Type Before You Go
Notarial certificates come in two main forms, and using the wrong one is a common reason documents get rejected later.
- An acknowledgment is a declaration that you signed the document willingly and for its intended purpose. The notary verifies your identity but does not require you to swear the contents are true. Real estate deeds and powers of attorney commonly use acknowledgments.
- A jurat is a sworn statement. You take an oath or make an affirmation that the contents are truthful, and the notary must watch you sign and administer the oath out loud. Affidavits and sworn statements typically require jurats.
Many documents already say which certificate they need, either in the text or in instructions from whoever will receive them. If yours does not, call the receiving agency and ask. A notary cannot pick for you: choosing the certificate type would count as legal advice, which notaries are not allowed to give.
Where to Find a Notary
Most banks and credit unions keep at least one notary on staff, and account holders often pay nothing or a reduced fee. Some branches limit the service to bank-related documents, so confirm by phone that they will handle your statement.
Shipping stores such as UPS Store and FedEx Office locations commonly offer notary services during business hours. Public libraries, city halls, and county clerk offices frequently have commissioned notaries too. Availability shifts by location, so a quick call saves a wasted trip.
If you cannot travel because of a hospital stay, disability, or scheduling conflict, a mobile notary will come to you. You pay the standard per-signature fee plus a travel or convenience charge. Most states do not cap the travel surcharge the way they cap the per-signature fee, so ask for the total up front.
Remote Online Notarization
As of early 2025, 45 states and the District of Columbia have permanent laws authorizing remote online notarization, often called RON. You connect with a commissioned notary through a live audio-video call on your computer or phone, upload the document, verify your identity through knowledge-based questions or credential analysis, and sign electronically while the notary watches. Sessions typically cost $25 to $50. If your state has not yet adopted RON, you may still be able to use a platform based in a state that has, depending on both states’ rules.
What Happens at the Appointment
The notary starts by examining your photo ID, comparing the name, photo, and description to the person in front of them. Once your identity is confirmed, the ceremony changes based on the certificate type.
For an acknowledgment, the notary asks you to confirm that you signed, or are about to sign, the document voluntarily and understand its purpose. For a jurat, the notary administers an oath or affirmation out loud, asking whether you swear or affirm that the statements in the document are true. You have to answer audibly. A nod or a mumble does not count, because that spoken answer places you under penalty of perjury.
You then sign on the designated line while the notary watches. The notary completes the certificate by signing it, dating it, and applying an official seal that includes their name, commission number, and commission expiration date. In roughly a third of states, the notary also records the transaction in a bound journal, noting your name, the type of document, the ID you presented, and the date.
Documents That May Require Witnesses
Some documents need one or two independent witnesses in addition to the notary. Wills, healthcare directives, and powers of attorney are common examples, though requirements vary by state and document type. Witnesses generally must be disinterested, meaning they have no financial stake in the document. If a signer cannot write their name and uses a mark such as an “X,” many states require at least one or two witnesses to be present. Ask the receiving agency or an attorney whether your document needs witnesses, and bring them along.
What It Costs
Most states set a maximum fee per notarial act. Statutory caps currently range from $2 per signature in the lowest-fee states to $25 in the highest, with a typical cap between $5 and $10. A few states, including Alaska and Arkansas, set no statutory maximum and leave the price to the market. Fees are charged per signature, so if two people sign the same document, you pay twice.
Mobile notaries add a separate travel or convenience fee on top of the per-signature charge, and that add-on is usually unregulated. Remote online sessions generally run $25 to $50 total, covering both the notarial act and the technology platform. Some banks waive the per-signature fee entirely for their account holders, which makes a branch visit the cheapest route when it’s available.
Why a Notary Might Turn You Away
Knowing the common refusal reasons ahead of time helps you avoid a second trip.
- Blank fields in the body of the document, other than the signature and date lines.
- No acceptable ID and no credible witness to vouch for you.
- You have already signed a document that requires the notary to witness the signing, such as one needing a jurat.
- The notary suspects fraud, coercion, or an illegal transaction.
- You appear disoriented, heavily sedated, or otherwise unable to understand what you are signing.
- The notary has a financial interest in the document. Many states also bar notarizing for close family such as a spouse, parent, or child.
If you are refused, ask why. Most reasons are fixable: finish the blanks, bring different ID, or find a notary without a family connection to the transaction.
What a Notary Cannot Do
A notary verifies your identity and witnesses your signature. That is the whole job. Notaries are not lawyers unless separately licensed, and giving legal help without a license is the unauthorized practice of law. In practical terms, a notary cannot tell you which certificate type your document needs, explain what the document means or whether it is valid, fill in blank fields or edit wording for you, or provide legal forms such as affidavits, wills, or powers of attorney in most states. For help understanding or preparing a document, talk to an attorney or the agency that will receive it.
If the Statement Will Be Used Abroad
A notarized statement bound for another country usually needs an added step: an apostille if the destination country belongs to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, or an authentication certificate if it does not. Your state’s Secretary of State certifies the notary’s authority first, and then the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications issues the apostille or authentication.1U.S. Department of State. Office of Authentications Plan well ahead, since the federal step alone can take several weeks by mail.
Check the Work Before You Leave
A defective notarization is usually caught by whoever receives the document, and the fix is to start over: sign again, present ID again, take the oath again, and pay another fee. Rejected notarizations can delay a loan closing or make a court affidavit inadmissible.
Before you leave the notary’s table, look at four things. Is the seal legible? Does the certificate type match what your document requires? Is the date correct? Did the notary sign? Catching an error while you are still sitting there is far easier than coming back.