Why National Notary Public Day Should Actually Matter To You

We may be coming off the high (or low) of Election Day, but today is important.

Why, you may ask?

Today, November 7th, is National Notary Public Day.

I bet you’re thinking to yourself, “Well, what is a Notary, and what do they do?”

A notary is essentially someone who the state government legally recognizes to witness the signing of important documents in an effort to deter fraud.

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ryan MacInnis, who serves as the Director of Marketing for a great company called Notarize. Notarize is helping modernize the way we witness and make official our legal documents. The company began three years ago and has raised $30 million dollars in capital since its launch. Thanks in part to companies like Notarize, 49 states now recognize online notarization.

The goal of Notarize is to help both this generation and future generations make the notarization process more accessible. They do this by assisting people during some of life’s biggest milestones. The coolest part of Notarize is the system of vast security protocols that you have to go through, which ensures the security of your documents. Aside from a Social Security and personal questionnaire to validate your identity, all notarization signings are both audio- and video-recorded.

Interestingly enough, Notarize is  the 1st company that has provided legal online closing process for a real estate deal. Not everyone gets to be the “first” in their industry.

Now, you may be thinking, “Well what do I need a notary for and when will I really need to get things notarized?”

Have you ever purchased a car, either from a dealership or a private individual? Well, in order to validate your ownership and title of the car, you need to have those documents notarized. Without getting the proper documents legally recognized, you may very well not hold true legal possession of your ride.

Also, who doesn’t love pets? Well, you may live in a building, apartment, or community that doesn’t allow certain types of pets. If you’re dealing with a landlord who has said you can have an exemption, get that in writing. You can visit a notary or go online to Notarize to legally certify your landlord’s words. That way you can enjoy your time with Fido or Samantha without fear of eviction!

Thinking about having a destination wedding? Do you want your wedding legally recognized? If you don’t receive an official marriage license from city hall, then you need a notary to verify a document from your officiant stating that the marriage is official.

Continuously, the biggest & most important time of your life you’ll need a notary is when you’re buying a house.

There are hundreds of documents that you will need to review and sign to make the process of becoming a homeowner complete. That is where a notary comes in handy. The notary’s role during what’s called the “closing” process is to ensure that both parties (buyer & seller) are signing the correct documents, so that the rights are accurately and truthfully signed over from one owner to the next.

While all these major milestones are happening in your life, there is also a group of individuals who are still fighting to protect their future and their true identity. Individuals who identify as transgender want to be legally recognized by their true gender identity. The most important thing for those in the transgender community is to secure their right to exist. A notary will assist in signing off on a new, legally updated birth certificate, a physician’s affidavit stating that you are now biologically the gender you’re identifying, as well as notarizing the important court documents and certifying them for the court when they’re filed.

Overall, it’s important to recognize and honor the work that notaries do on a daily basis. They’re unsung heroes protecting us from fraud and situations that could be costly. If you’re in the need of a notary, make sure you check out Notarize. Protect yourself, your assets and your future, one legally certified document at a time.

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