Professional Notary Public & Document Authentication Services

Yes, a notary public in Los Angeles County or any locality can refuse to notarize a document under certain circumstances. For example, a notary may decline notarization if the document is suspected to be fraudulent, the signer appears to be forced to sign, or the signer doesn’t understand what they are signing. At the same time, notaries can decline notarization if the signer can’t provide a valid form of identification, can’t physically appear before the notary, or there are incomplete details or missing signature lines in the document. 

In most cases, only signers need to be present during notarization. The notary has to witness the signing or personally witness the signers confirm that the previously affixed signature was theirs. However, in the case of multiple parties being in separate locations, there’s an option to appear together or have their signatures notarized individually. A notary can notarize a pre-signed document as long as the notarial act is an acknowledgment and the signers are present to verify their signatures.

In most cases, you need a valid government-issued identification to have a document notarized in California. But in the absence of a valid ID, California allows ‘credible witnesses’ who know the signer well enough to vouch for his or her identity. You only need one credible witness if the witness knows both the notary and the signer and two credible witnesses who don’t personally know the notary public. Each credible witness must present a valid identification during notarization.

For notary services in California, we charge a base notary fee of $25 and a service provider fee of $10. Meanwhile, the cost of our mobile notary services in Los Angeles depends on the travel distance and exact location where the signing will take place. We also have to factor in the number of signatures and schedule to calculate the mobile notary cost. We recommend calling us so we can discuss the details of your service request, and we’ll give you a free quote.

Common documents requiring notarization include real estate deeds, financial transaction documents, mortgages, powers of attorney, adoption papers, wills, trusts, medical directives, and more. Depositions and affidavits also require notarization, specifically jurat, to verify its accuracy and truthfulness. Take note that all documents need notarization, such as vital records and personal letters. If you’re unsure, you can always refer to the issuing agency to identify if it needs notarization and what notarial act you should request.  

Yes, a notary in Los Angeles can notarize pre-signed documents as long as the notarial act is an acknowledgment. Still, the signers must be present to allow the notary to confirm their identities and for the signers to confirm that the affixed signatures are authentically theirs. However, if the notarial act involves taking an oath to confirm the veracity of the document’s content (jurat), all signings must be done in front of the notary public.

A notarized document in California remains valid unless it falls under these conditions:

1. An explicit expiration date is indicated in the document itself.
2. Specific laws or regulations require the notary seal to be updated or renewed.
3. The receiving institution or agency requires the notary seal to be updated or renewed.

Common documents with expiring notarization include powers of attorney, medical directives, and certain affidavits or consents with pre-determined validity periods. Always check and confirm with the receiving party to ensure that your notarized documents remain valid within the desired period. 

No, California notaries are not allowed to notarize vital records, such as birth certificates and government-issued identification, such as passports. Only the issuing government agencies can certify them, and photo-copied duplicates can’t be notarized as “certified copies”.

If you wish to have certified copies of your birth certificate or passport, you need to order them directly from the issuing agency. If you need assistance requesting copies of your birth certificate or a new passport, Rush In Documentation Center can help! Contact us, and let’s discuss your document retrieval and passport renewal needs.   

No, California laws do not allow fully remote online notarization (RON), where the signing is done electronically. All California notaries are legally compelled to be physically present with the signer when validating their identity and signatures. However, California recognizes out-of-state remote online notarizations performed in accordance with state law, which has jurisdiction over the public notary performing RON.

Still, we offer a mobile notary service where we travel to your preferred location to witness the document signing. This is a convenient alternative to RON, so you can still get fast notarization in Southern California.