What is notary public: (and how we support you from Florida)

What a U.S. notary public is (and isn’t)

A U.S. notary public:

• Identifies signers (valid ID, personal knowledge, or a credible witness where allowed).

• Confirms willingness and awareness (no coercion; signer understands what they’re signing).

• Administers oaths/affirmations (for jurats and affidavits).

• Completes a notarial certificate (jurat or acknowledgment), affixing seal and signature.

• Keeps impartiality (not a party to the transaction; no conflict of interest).

A U.S. notary does not act as a civil-law “notario” who drafts and grants deeds with independent legal effect. Our role is procedural—verifying form and identity—not providing individualized legal advice or validating the truth of the content (that’s what your oath covers).

The main notarial certificates you’ll encounter

Acknowledgment

You tell the notary you signed voluntarily. The signature may have been made before you appeared; the notary verifies identity and your acknowledgment of the signature.

Jurat (affidavit)

You swear or affirm the content is true and sign in the notary’s presence. Most affidavits require a jurat. If you already signed, you’ll re-sign before the notary so the certificate is accurate.

Tip: Documents are often mislabeled. If your form says “affidavit” but includes an acknowledgment block, a court or agency may still expect a jurat. We’ll help you match the certificate to the document’s purpose.

In Florida: notarize in Miami or online (RON)

In-person notarization (Miami). Bring valid ID; we verify identity, confirm willingness/awareness, complete the appropriate certificate, and apply our physical seal. This is ideal when the receiver demands wet-ink paper or when technology is a hurdle.

Online notarization (RON). Florida authorizes notaries physically located in Florida to notarize through a live two-way audio-video session. Our online flow includes:

• Credential analysis of your government ID,

• KBA (knowledge-based authentication) with time-limited questions,

• Optional biometric liveness/face match (common on modern platforms), and

• A recorded session retained under program rules.

A Florida-compliant online notarization is deemed performed in Florida, even if you’re elsewhere. That gives your document a clear legal home base.

Tamper-evident protection. Every document we notarize online is sealed at the moment of notarization with a digital certificate and a tamper-evident hash. From that point forward, the file cannot be modified without detection: any post-notarization change automatically voids the signatures, breaks the seal, and shows a clear “modified/invalid” status in standard PDF signature panels. We also preserve the original, signed version alongside the recorded session and audit trail so recipients can verify integrity instantly.

Acceptance check: Most states now authorize some form of remote notarization, but policies vary among courts, recorders, banks, and private companies. Before you choose RON, we recommend confirming that the receiving party accepts Florida online notarizations. If they require paper with wet-ink signatures, we’ll schedule you in person.

Identification: what works and how to prepare

Bring a current, government-issued photo ID (passport, driver’s license, or state ID). For RON, the platform’s credential analysis will check multiple data points on your ID; KBA will ask time-sensitive questions drawn from public and credit records. If you’ve recently moved, have thin credit history, or your name changed, tell us up front—we’ll help you prepare (e.g., know prior addresses or loan info). If ID checks can’t be satisfied, we’ll pivot to an in-person notarization.

Witnesses: when you need them (and how we arrange them)

Some documents—powers of attorney, certain estate forms, real-estate affidavits, and school or medical authorizations—may require witnesses in addition to the notary. If your form calls for witnesses, we can:

• Coordinate staff witnesses in person (where permitted), or

• Add remote witnesses in a RON session (if allowed for that document type).

Always ask the receiver whether witnesses must be independent (not related, not mentioned in the document) and whether they must provide additional details (address, phone).

Vital records caution (avoid a common mistake)

Notaries don’t certify copies of vital records (birth, death, marriage certificates). Those copies come from Vital Records or county/municipal registrars. If you need a birth certificate for international use, we can obtain the certified copy from the proper office and then help route it for apostille—but we don’t notarize the certificate itself.

How a notary public fits into the apostille picture

For documents going abroad:

• If your destination is in the Hague Apostille Convention, you’ll need an apostille on the notary’s signature (for private documents) or on the issuing official’s signature (for public records).

• If your destination is not a Hague member, you’ll typically need authentication (and sometimes consular legalization).

Typical private-document chain (Hague):

1. We notarize (in person or RON).

2. The state’s competent authority (in Florida, the Department of State) issues an apostille on our notarial signature.

3. You submit the apostilled document in the foreign country.

We’ll check the exact notarial wording, the signer names as they appear on IDs, and any witness requirements to ensure the state can apostille without kicking the file back. If your recipient wants a translation, we coordinate and clarify whether the apostille attaches to the base document, the translator’s notarized certificate, or both.

Online vs. paper: choosing the right route

Choose online (RON) when:

• Signers are in different cities or time zones,

• You have tight deadlines and the recipient accepts e-notarization, or

• You want a digital evidence package (recording + logs) and a tamper-evident PDF.

Choose in person when:

• The receiver insists on wet-ink originals,

• A signer may have a hard time passing KBA/credential analysis, or

• The venue (court/recorder) has not fully adopted e-notarization workflows.

If you’re unsure, we’ll contact the receiving party and get a yes/no on acceptance before you schedule.

Notary ethics, impartiality, and refusal to act

A notary must remain impartial. We will not proceed if:

• A signer lacks capacity or appears coerced;

• The ID doesn’t match or is invalid;

• The certificate requested is incorrect for the document (e.g., asking for an acknowledgment when a jurat is required), or

• The notarial act would violate state law (for example, certifying a vital record copy).

This protects you—and ensures downstream acceptance.

Recordkeeping, privacy, and data security

We treat your documents and recordings (for RON) with strict custody:

• RON recordings and electronic journals are retained under program rules.

• Digital files are tamper-evident and stored with access controls.

• We never share your data beyond what’s necessary to complete and validate the notarial act or to comply with lawful requests.

Ask us if a recipient wants a verification letter or specific metadata; we’ll provide what’s permissible.

Preparing for your appointment: a quick checklist

• Recipient acceptance: Do they accept RON or require paper? Any exact wording for the notarial block?

• Correct certificate: Jurat (you’ll swear/affirm and sign in our presence) or acknowledgment (you acknowledge a prior signature)?

• Names: Match your ID exactly (middle names/initials).

• Documents: Have every page ready; leave signature/date lines blank until we’re live.

• Witnesses: If required, tell us whether you’re bringing them or want us to arrange them.

• Apostille intent: If the document is going abroad, tell us the destination country; we’ll align the chain.

Common mistakes (and how we prevent them)

• Signing too early for a jurat. For affidavits/jurats, sign only in the notary’s presence (in person or live online).

• Wrong certificate. We make sure the notarial wording matches your document’s purpose.

• Name mismatch. We check your ID and the document so the state can apostille without issues.

• Skipping acceptance checks. We contact the recipient to confirm they accept RON or require wet-ink.

• Assuming notaries can certify any copy. We’ll tell you when you need an official certified copy (vital records) instead.