Appointment Guide
What to Bring to Your Notary Appointment in Illinois
Notary appointments almost never fail because of the document. They fail because of identification, a signature already on the page, or a witness who was not arranged.
- Written by
- Janet L. Chantharasy, Commissioned Illinois Notary Public, Illini Notary and Signing Services
- Published
- Last updated
Most people have never thought about what a notary actually does until they need one, and then they need one quickly. The good news is that preparing for the appointment takes about five minutes of attention, and the three things that go wrong are entirely avoidable.
Here is what to bring, what to leave alone, and what a notary can and cannot do once you are sitting down together.
Identification, in the Terms Illinois Uses
Illinois law does not publish a checklist of acceptable cards. It describes characteristics. A notarial act may be performed where any one of the following is satisfied:
- The notary personally knows the signer
- The signer is identified by a credible witness who is personally known to the notary and who is not named in the document
- The signer presents a current identification card or document issued by a state or federal government agency, bearing the photographic image of the signer's face and the signer's signature
- The signer presents a current passport or other identification issued by a consular official, bearing the photographic image of the signer's face and the signer's signature
Reading it that way is more useful than memorizing a list of cards, because the question is never really is this card on the list. It is does this card carry the signer's photograph and signature, is it current, and was it issued by a government agency or a consular official.
Do Not Sign the Document First
This is the most common avoidable problem. For an acknowledgment, the signer must appear before the notary, and for a jurat the signer signs in the notary's presence and swears to the truth of the statement. A page that arrives already signed frequently has to be reprinted and signed again.
Bring the document complete but unsigned. Fill in every blank beforehand, leaving only the signature lines and the notarial certificate empty.
Witnesses Are Your Responsibility to Arrange
Some documents require witnesses in addition to notarization. Illinois advance directives and certain estate planning documents are common examples. The notary is not a witness to your document, and the notary cannot supply witnesses for you.
Check the document's own witness requirement before the appointment, and arrange for people who are able to attend, who are not named in the document, and who can be identified if the document requires it.
What a Notary Can and Cannot Do
A notary confirms identity, witnesses the signature or administers the oath, completes the notarial certificate, and journals the act. That is the whole of the notarial role, and it is a genuinely valuable one.
What a notary cannot do:
- Choose which notarial certificate your document needs
- Explain what the document does or what signing it means
- Advise whether the document is the right one for your purpose
- Complete blanks in the document on your behalf
Illini Notary and Signing Services is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Where a document requires one of the decisions above, that decision belongs to the person who prepared the document or to a licensed attorney.
A Notary May Decline
A notary may refuse to perform a notarial act, and is not required to explain the refusal further. That authority exists for a reason. Where a signer does not appear to understand the document, appears to be signing under pressure, cannot be identified as the law requires, or where the document is incomplete, declining is the correct professional response rather than an obstacle.
It is worth knowing this in advance, because it is far better to hear it before an appointment than to be surprised by it during one.