A notary serves as a trusted, impartial witnesses to document signings. They are unbiased and personally or professionally unaffected by the document.
Remote Online Notarization (RON) lets a commissioned notary notarize your documents electronically using audio-visual technology. This means you and the notary don't need to be in the same place, making the process more convenient and accessible.
A signing agent is a Notary who is specially trained to handle and notarize loan documents for lenders. A Notary signing agent is hired as an independent contractor to ensure that real estate loan documents are executed by the borrower, notarized, and returned for processing on time for the loan to be funded.
Yes, CertaSign is licensed and insured. We carry a $100,000 Notary Errors & Omissions Insurance Policy and are bonded in Michigan. We are also licensed as a commissioned Notary by the State of Michigan.
Michigan has state laws that set the fees for notarizations. Michigan is $10.00 USD for each notarial act (each stamp) and allows notaries to also charge an agreed-upon travel fee. For online "ron" notarizations, the online platform that the notary uses to complete online notarizations requires payment for the use of the platform to be paid to the platform (not to the notary). The state the notary is in physically is where the fee and laws are based, not the location of the client signing the documents. In-person notarizations occur with the notary and client in the same state. Online notarizations are allowed for any client anywhere in the world, regardless of the state the notary is in. Apostille and Loan Signings fees vary - contact us to find out more.
In person notarizations:
Cash (exact amount, as I do not carry change), Paypal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Zelle, Pop Money, Certified Check or Money Order made out to CertaSign (no personal checks)
Online notarizations are paid electronically using a debit, credit or bank account to the online notarization platform.
For in-person notary services, the agreed-upon travel fees must be paid even if the signer does not sign the document or if the notary determines that the notarization cannot occur (e.g., lack of identification). The notarization fee is not charged if a notarization has not been completed, but the travel fee is non-refundable.
We can perform Remote Online Notarizations (RON) for clients anywhere in the world. For in-person services, we are a mobile notary serving the state of Michigan, primarily focusing on Washtenaw, Wayne, Livingston, and Lenawee counties. Travel fees may apply for in-person services.
A valid, non-expired U.S. Government issued photo identification such as a valid state driver’s license, passport, military ID, permanent resident card, etc. is required for Michigan.
If you are acting as a power of attorney for a person, its helpful to bring the POA document along with you for identification.
You will need to provide the document, including all pages needing to be signed. Note: I can print, copy and email as required if you notify me ahead of the appointment. Notaries are not allowed to legally create or write documents on your behalf.
Please do not sign any documents ahead of time, I need to witness you sign the document and verify your identity first.
In order to do an online/virtual notarization, the signer/witness must have a US ID/Driver's License or US passport, and a social security number. In additiion, the signer/witness needs to be able to pass indentify validation questions, which are based on public or private records, usually credit report data. Identity questions examples could be related to prior addresses, mortgage loans, cars you've registered/owned. You do get several chances to pass the validation questions.
Sometimes expatriates "expats" who have been out of the country more than two years may have some difficulty passing identity validation questions, however a crediable witness can be used if the cerdiable witness can validate the expatriate's identity and pass their own identity validation questions and has a US ID/Driver's License or Passport of their own to use.
Notarization is crucial because it verifies the authenticity of signatures on your documents. This process involves a Notary administering oaths and affirmations to ensure the document's content is truthful.
We cannot provide legal advice, draft documents, or select the type of document or notarization for you. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney.
Please do not sign any documents ahead of time, I need to witness you sign the document and verify your identity. However, if it is an acknowledgment only that has already been signed, then yes, I can still notarize it.
I cannot notarize a document that requires an affidavit or jurat certificate when it has already been signed, as that requires an oath or affirmation prior to signing. In this case, I would recommend getting a new document that has not been signed.
State laws have certain allowances for persons unable to physically sign a document, therefore a notarization can still be completed. However, the signer must still be coherent, understand what they are signing, etc.
Typically, in situations with minors, most documents allow a legal guardian or parent to sign on the minor’s behalf. However, minors can have documents notarized. But, just like an adult, they must be properly identified (a U.S. Government issued photo identification such as a valid state driver’s license or passport) and the minor must be able to understand what they are signing, as well as, be physically able to sign the document.
A notary public may not notarize copies of vital records such as birth, marriage or death certificates. Vital records can only be certified by the registrar or the clerk with the requisite authority to issue the record. There is no notarial certificate to be completed or signature to notarize.
If an individual wants a notarization on a vital record, I can notarize an affidavit in which you state that the vital record/birth certificate is a true and accurate copy of the record. You’ll be required to take an oath/affirmation. However, it is possible that the entity receiving the record will reject the affidavit and copy, so it’s best to check with the party who is requesting or needing to review the document in question.
Michigan law does not require a POA to be notarized, however, some third parties will only accept the document if the principal’s signature has been notarized. POAs must be signed by the principal signer and two disinterested parties should witness it (the notary can’t be a witness in this case, see below).
I can act as a document witness, only if I am not notarizing the signatures on the same document.
We use both a seal and a stamp, depending on the document type. For mortgage loans, a stamp is preferred as these documents are often scanned or copied. For vehicle titles, a seal is usually better due to space constraints, although newer titles have more space for a stamp.