A notary public is a person who is appointed or commissioned by a state to act as an impartial witness to the signing of important legal documents. Notary public appointments are usually handled by a state’s Secretary of State’s office and require a potential notary to meet eligibility requirements, take a notary training course, and pass a state notary exam.
Many different types of legal documents may need to be notarized—such as an affidavit, contract, will, trust, power of attorney, power of attorney for health care, divorce papers, deed, mortgage, or deed of trust.
