Notary Service Dos and Don’ts

Hello FDL friends! Some of you may already know this, but FDL provides notary service free of charge to anyone who needs it – you do not have to be an East Peoria resident or have an FDL card to take advantage of this service. However, there are some things to know about notary service before you come over and we stamp your documents.

  • The purpose of a notary public and getting your documents notarized is to prevent fraud and forgery. When a notary signs and stamps your document, all they are doing is saying that you are the person you say you are. Getting a notary signature does not verify any other information.
  • Make sure that all parties who need to sign the document are also present at the library. Notaries cannot notarize a document that needs multiple signatures if not all parties are present to sign.
  • Do call the library ahead of time to make sure one of our notaries is on staff when you need to come in. Chances are, one will be available but it’s good to call and check.
  • Do bring a valid, non-expired photo ID with you when getting a document notarized. IN order to prevent forgery or fraud, notaries need to make sure you are who you say you are. If your ID is expired, we cannot notarize your document. Examples of accepted photo IDs are a driver’s license, state ID, military ID, passport, or FOID card.
  • Do bring witnesses if your documents call for witness signatures. Library staff cannot act as a witness, nor can we ask other library patrons to act as witnesses. Any witnesses you provide will also have to present a valid photo ID.
  • Do come in with plenty of time to have your documents notarized. If you have a large stack of documents that require multiple signatures, notarizing them will take time. Allow both yourself and our staff an appropriate amount of time to get your documents notarized, especially if you need to fax them afterward.
  • Do read over all of your paperwork carefully before filling it out. Some organizations that request your documents be notarized can have requirements as seemingly small as the color ink you use.
  • Do Not, under any circumstances, sign your documents before bringing them in to be notarized. Notary publics must watch you sign your documents before we notarize them. By watching you sign your documents, and also looking at your valid photo ID, we are verifying your identity. Notaries cannot notarize documents that have already been signed.

Once you have all of your documents and IDs in order, call us and come by and one of our notary staff will be happy to get you squared away.

Post by Carey Gibbons, Reference Specialist

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