Is notarization required by law?
For certain documents, yes. Many affidavits, real estate deeds, loan papers, powers of attorney, and other types of documents must be properly notarized to become legally binding. Oftentimes one of the simplest ways to determine whether a document requires notarization is to examine it- specifically, in the vicinity of the signature area- for notarial wording, such as “…subscribed and sworn to before me…”or”…acknowledged to…” Such wording varies from state to state (and from country to country), so use these examples only as a general guide. Also be aware that not all documents requiring notarizing contain the mandatory notarial wording; in such cases, the notary must add the necessary wording to the documents.
For certain documents, yes. Many affidavits, real estate deeds, loan papers, powers of attorney, and other types of documents must be properly notarized to become legally binding. Oftentimes one of the simplest ways to determine whether a document requires notarizing is to examine it – specifically, in the vicinity of the signature area – for notarial wording, such as “…subscribed and sworn to before me…” or “…acknowledged to me…” Such wording varies from state to state (and from country to country), so use these examples only as a general guide. Also be aware that not all documents requiring notarizing contain the mandatory notarial wording; in cases such as these, the notary public must add the necessary wording to the documents.
