Terms of Service

2. WHAT WE ARE AND WHAT WE ARE NOT

Illini Notary and Signing Services is a notary public and document services company. We are not a law firm. We do not provide legal advice, legal representation, or legal counsel. We do not draft legal documents. We do not advise you on which notarial act to select, on which certificate to use, on the legal sufficiency or effect of a document, or on whether a document will accomplish what you intend. Questions of that kind must be directed to a licensed attorney.

We are not an immigration consultant, an immigration adviser, or an agency authorized to prepare immigration filings. We may notarize a signature on a document or facilitate authentication of a document where Illinois law permits. We do not advise on immigration matters, eligibility, procedure, or strategy. In some jurisdictions and languages the word notary carries a meaning that includes legal representation. In Illinois it does not.

A notarization verifies the identity of the signer, the signer's acknowledgment or oath, and the performance of the notarial act. It does not verify the truth, accuracy, legality, or enforceability of the document.

3. ELIGIBILITY AND YOUR OBLIGATIONS

You must be at least 18 years old to request service through our websites, and you must have authority to request service for any document you present.

You agree to present acceptable, current identification as Illinois law requires, to appear personally or in a compliant remote session, to sign willingly and with understanding of the act being performed, to provide complete and accurate information, and to present documents that are complete and that are not fraudulent, altered, or forged.

4. RIGHT TO REFUSE OR STOP A NOTARIAL ACT

We will refuse or discontinue a notarial act where Illinois law requires or permits refusal. This includes, without limitation, circumstances in which the signer cannot be satisfactorily identified, the signer does not appear to understand the act or does not appear to be acting willingly, the document is incomplete, the signer is not present as required, the notary has a disqualifying interest, or we believe the act would be unlawful.

Refusal for these reasons is a legal obligation, not a service decision, and it does not constitute a breach of any agreement with you.

5. SCOPE AND FEES

Illinois law sets maximum fees for certain notarial acts. Our fees for notarial acts are charged within the limits Illinois law establishes. Fees for travel, wait time, after-hours availability, courier and shipping, document preparation coordination, expedited handling, and other professional services are separate from the notarial act fee and are not subject to the notarial fee maximum.

Government fees and third-party fees, including any fee charged by the Illinois Secretary of State, a county office, a federal agency, a consulate, a translator, or a carrier, are passed through to you and are not our fees.

A quote is an estimate based on the information available at the time it is given. It is not an invoice. If the facts change, including the document type, the destination country, the number of documents, the authentication pathway, or the location of the signing, the quote may change and we will tell you before proceeding.

6. NO GUARANTEE OF ACCEPTANCE OR TIMING

We do not guarantee that any document will be accepted by any court, agency, consulate, embassy, university, employer, foreign government, or other receiving party. Acceptance is determined by the receiving party under rules that party controls and may change without notice.

Authentication and apostille processing depends on the Illinois Secretary of State and, where applicable, on other agencies. Our handling time is within our control. Government processing time is not. Any statement about expedited handling is subject to Illinois Secretary of State processing times and to counter availability, and is not a guarantee of a completion date.

Remote online notarization depends on an approved third-party platform, on successful identity verification, and on your internet connection, camera, and device. We cannot guarantee that a remote session will succeed.

7. SCHEDULING, CANCELLATION, AND REFUNDS

Scheduling, cancellation, rescheduling, no-show, and refund terms are set out in the Cancellation, Rescheduling, and Refund Policy, which is incorporated into these terms by reference.

8. YOUR DOCUMENTS

You are responsible for providing complete and accurate documents and for retaining your own copies. We take reasonable care of documents in our custody. We are not a bailee for value and we are not responsible for the loss, damage, delay, or destruction of a document by a postal or courier carrier, by a government office, or by any party other than us. We recommend trackable shipping and, where a document is difficult or impossible to replace, insured shipping.

Our handling, confidentiality, and retention practices are described on the Document Handling, Confidentiality, and Retention page.

9. PAYMENT

Payment is due as stated on the quote or invoice. Accepted payment methods are cash check, credit card, ACH, Zelle, Cashapp, or Venmo. Government and third-party fees may be required in advance. Returned payments and chargebacks may incur a fee of $35. We reserve the right to require payment before a document is released or a submission is made.

10. WEBSITE USE

You may use our websites for lawful purposes only. You may not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the site or its systems, interfere with the operation of the site, use automated means to collect content or contact information, transmit malicious code, or use content from the site to create a competing service.

11. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

All content on our websites, including text, page structure, graphics, the Illini Notary seal wordmark and logo, photographs, and design elements, is owned by Illini Notary and Signing Services LLC or used under license, and is protected by copyright and trademark law. You may not copy, reproduce, republish, or distribute site content without written permission, except that you may print a page for your own reference in connection with a service request.

If you believe content on our site infringes your copyright, send a notice with the information required by 17 U.S.C. 512(c)(3) to support@illininotary.com.

12. THIRD-PARTY PLATFORMS AND LINKS

Some services are delivered through third-party platforms, including an electronic notarization system provider approved for use in Illinois, scheduling tools, and payment processors. Your use of those platforms is governed by their terms and privacy policies in addition to these terms. We link to government and institutional resources for convenience and do not control or warrant their content.

13. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES

Our websites and their content are provided as is and as available, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the site will be uninterrupted or error free or that information on the site is complete or current. Information about Illinois procedures, government fees, and processing times is provided for general information and changes without notice. Verify current requirements with the responsible agency.

Services are performed with the professional care expected of a commissioned Illinois notary public. Nothing in this section limits any duty imposed on a notary public by Illinois law.

14. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Illini Notary and Signing Services LLC and its members, officers, employees, and contractors are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost opportunity, delay damages, or damages arising from the rejection of a document by a receiving party, even if advised of the possibility of those damages.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total liability arising out of or relating to a service is limited to the amount of the fees you paid to us for that service.

These limitations do not apply to liability that cannot be limited under Illinois law, including liability arising from a notary public's official misconduct. Errors and omissions coverage is maintained and any claim is handled under the terms of that coverage.

15. INDEMNIFICATION

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Illini Notary and Signing Services LLC and its members, officers, employees, and contractors from any claim, loss, liability, or expense, including reasonable attorney fees, arising from your breach of these terms, from information or documents you provide that are inaccurate, incomplete, altered, or fraudulent, or from your use of our websites in violation of these terms.

16. GOVERNING LAW AND VENUE

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois without regard to conflict of laws principles. Any action arising out of or relating to these terms or our services shall be brought exclusively in the state courts located in Champaign County, Illinois, or in the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, and you consent to the jurisdiction of those courts.

17. DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Before filing an action, you agree to give us written notice describing the dispute and to allow 45 days to resolve it.

18. SEVERABILITY, WAIVER, AND ENTIRE AGREEMENT

If a provision of these terms is held unenforceable, the remainder stays in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it. These terms, together with the Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Legal Disclaimers and Notices, Document Handling page, Cancellation, Rescheduling, and Refund Policy, and Messaging, Call, and Email Consent Terms, are the entire agreement between you and us regarding your use of our websites and supersede prior understandings on that subject. A written engagement, service agreement, or vendor agreement signed by both parties controls over these terms to the extent of a conflict.

19. CHANGES TO THESE TERMS

We may update these terms. The effective date shows when they last changed. Continued use of the websites or request for service after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

20. CONTACT

Illini Notary and Signing Services LLC

2005 N Prospect Ave #1244, Champaign, IL 61822

Champaign, Illinois

(217) 397-5833

Email: support@illininotary.com