A notary public is an official witness to the free and willing signing of one or more documents by one or more people whose identity the notary has verified. To verify identity when notarizing documents in Canada, the signature of the person being identified is compared with their current legal signature.
When visiting a notary public, notary public commission, or a notary public location, one can expect the following processes to get the document(s) verified:
1. Personal Information:
A notary will typically ask for identification from the signer(s) to verify their identity and make sure they are who they say they are. This is usually a photo ID but could be another type of legal proof of identity, such as a Canadian passport. In some jurisdictions, this is recorded in the notarization itself; in others, it is documented by the notary in separate documentation that is visible to any interested party.
2. The documents are attested:
You must sign with your full legal name and not another name or pseudonym. After this has been confirmed, the documents are typically given back to you to check over before they are signed by you. This is done so that there are no surprises about what is being attested, where it’s being attested, and any other important aspects of the signing process (which should be explained by your notary). If you want to make sure the document(s) reflects what was agreed upon prior to signing, you can always ask to see a draft first.
3. The notary will affix his/her stamp/seal:
The last step involves sealing the document(s). Your notary will use an embosser to emboss their seal onto the document. The embosser imprints a unique identifying mark that associates it with your notary public to ensure there’s no confusion when the document is presented in another jurisdiction at a later date.
4. The Notary will explain how to tell if a document is notarized:
With so many people getting documents authenticated remotely, it can be hard for someone unfamiliar with the process to know how to spot a document that has been verified by a notary public. There are various ways of telling, but one example would be the presence of an embossed seal indicating that your document was attested by authorized personnel. In some cases, there may be additional wording or statements next to the signature(s) indicating that they have been verified. Always be sure to have your document(s) notarized by a licensed Notary Public or Commissioner for Oaths.
5. Witness Signature:
Finally, the witnesses will physically sign the document copy, if required. The witnesses may be the notary public themselves, a co-signer of one of the documents, or additional people who have been summoned to verify that both parties are in agreement before signing.
How Do I Notarize a Document Remotely?
Luckily, you don’t have to leave your home to get your documents authenticated by a professional Canadian notary. You can use our online notarization services that make it possible for people who are living in various parts of the country to get their documents certified at any hour they want through internet access and electronic signature technology. All-Canada Notary is an online notarization service provider that can provide you with notarized documents without you having to leave your house.
Online notarization follows a similar process as visiting a Notary Public. A few steps that it involves are:
- Start with booking your appointment. You will have to choose a time that is convenient for you.
- Once your appointment is booked, we will send you a link to your email through which you will have to upload your ID and documents that you need to notarize.
- The notary will confirm your identity and sign your documents securely
- We will send you a digital copy of your documents. We can also send the hard copy upon request.
