Notary Public

A notary public is a state-licensed official who witnesses signatures, administers oaths, and authenticates documents to guard against fraud. In property transactions, notarization is often required on deeds, mortgages, powers of attorney, and similar instruments.

The notary’s job is to confirm that signers are who they say they are and that they are signing willingly and knowingly. A notarized document carries more legal weight, and it usually has to be notarized before it can be recorded in the public land records.