A complete notarized document shall include the signature and stamp of a notary public, along with a proper notarial wording (notarial certificate).
A notary has the power to perform various official acts. for example, in Virginia, a notary may perform the five basic notarial acts below:
1. Taking acknowledgments
2. Administering oaths and affirmations
3. Certifying affidavits or depositions
4. Certifying “true copies” of documents
5. Verification of fact
Notarial acts may differ by state, check the rules of your state.
In the first step of notarizing documents, we have always emphasized to our clients the choice of a notary and the importance of notarial certificates. We found the notarized documents provided by some of our clients only signed and stamped by a notary, and there is no notarial certificate. Improper notarial certificates of some notarized documents cause the documents to have no legal effect and cannot be used normally, or cause the return\rejection of the application of apostille, authentication, and legalization.
We recommend that the notary you seek should have extensive notary experience, be familiar with and abide by the state's notary laws and regulations. Improper notarial certificates or documents may cause the subsequent application of apostille\authentication\legalization to be rejected, and you will have to start over costing you time and money. It is recommended that you tell the notary the purpose of the document and the destination country before the notarization so that the notary can put a proper notarial certificate.
The following is a template of the notarial certificate of each state in the United States (including DC):
Click here for FAQs of notarization, authentication, and legalization.
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American Notary Service Center Inc. provides fair, fast, confidential, and professional document notarization and certification services for our clients. We also provide various assistance services to small businesses led by socially and economically disadvantaged groups. Our service helps small businesses obtain federal government contracts, gain a foothold in the market, and boost their sales. For more information, please visit our website at www.usnotarycenter.com, and contact us by calling 202-599-0777 or by email at info@usnotarycenter.com.