What documents require notarization?
Many documents are not valid unless the signatures have been properly notarized by a notary commissioned by the state where the notarization occurs. A notary public has authority to witness a signer’s voluntary acknowledgement of a signature, attest to his/her awareness and willingness at the time of the acknowledgement, and certify that acceptable identification was provided. A certificate is completed by the notary as evidence that the signature is valid and authentic. Additionally, a record is made in a journal that serves as evidence of the notarization itself if such should ever become an issue in legal proceedings. Though not required in Arizona, I always request a fingerprint of each signer as additional evidence of the signer’s acknowledgement. I feel this is very important because it is a great deterrent to any signer that may regret a transaction later on and might otherwise try to claim that a signature is fraudulent. This little extra effort is great protection for all part
