Notary Guidelines

A Notary must adhere to strict guidelines when notarizing a document. The client should be

aware of the following:

1. By law, the customer (signee) must sign the document(s) in the presence of the Notary.

2. A Notary may only affix their stamp to the document in the signee’s presence. By law, it cannot be stamped beforehand.

3. A Notary will have to require the signee to swear an oath if the paperwork states “Subscribed and Sworn” in the notarial section.

4. Under no circumstances is a Notary allowed to give legal advice (unless they are also an

attorney).

5. A Notary may print paperwork previously prepared for a client by an attorney but may not prepare paperwork providing legal services to a client (unless the notary is also an attorney).

6. A Notary is not allowed to be related to the person for whom they are notarizing a document, i.e. a direct family member.

7. A Notary cannot notarize any document if the Notary could benefit in any way from the

transaction.

8. If a Witness to a document is needed, the notary cannot stipulate who may be used as

the Witness. It is, however, best to use someone not related to the signee. Some documents will state on the paperwork that no related parties are allowed to be a Witness. KHM Notary Services can provide a Witness for an additional $25 fee, please just convey that a Witness is needed when you schedule your appointment!

9. A Notary is required to refuse a notarization if the signee is unable to convey to the

Notary why they are asking to have the document notarized. This is necessary to protect

the rights of the signee.

You can verify that the Notary you have chosen to work with is commissioned by the State of Michigan:

 Go to https://www.michigan.gov/sos

 Click on “Search for notary”

 Type in the name of the notary, being sure to use the exact name their commission is listed as, i.e., if their commissioned name is “Kris Hasenfratz” and you type in their full name, “Kristen Hasenfratz”, you will not find them listed.

 Once you have entered the correct information, their commission will appear and tell you if it is current or if it has expired. Only work with a Notary whose commission is current! This will assure you that they are able to notarize and witness your documents.

Looking for a Professional Notary with experience, who will make sure your documents are notarized properly? Call or text Kris Hasenfratz, a Grand-Blanc based Mobile Notary, today!