How to Find a Notary Public Near You (and How Your Bank Can Help)

What is a notary public?

As noted by the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Financial Institutions, a notary public is “an individual issued an appointment … to serve the public as an impartial witness, performing notarial acts as are allowed or required by law.”

Put simply, when legal and financial documents are created and signed, courts and other government institutions need a way of verifying several things:

• Are the people signing the document who they say they are? Is their identity known to all parties?
• Is everyone included in the contract of sound mind and body, and are there no traces of coercion, duress or intimidation?
• Do all the parties have a full understanding of the contents of the document they’re signing?
• Can all three of these main points be verified by an impartial witness (the notary) who has no personal interest in the contract?

The purpose of a notary is to help confirm the validity of a legal document in the event a problem arises down the road pertaining to its enforceability.

Here’s a simple example: Imagine a last will and testament that was only signed in the presence of a single relative who stands to inherit the entire estate. If a different relative chooses to contest this will, they could contest the will’s validity by arguing that the deceased signed the will under duress or without being of sound mind.

Now, imagine the same situation, but this time the will was signed in the presence of two additional, impartial witnesses and a notary who can confirm the validity of the document. In this case, the will would be more likely to be considered valid in the eyes of a court—and be harder to contest.

Where can I find a notary?

In most cases, the best and fastest way to find a notary for your legal or financial document is to visit a local branch of your bank.

While not all banks offer notary services, many do keep notaries on staff to assist with common financial transactions such as taking out a mortgage or processing a bill of sale.

To check if your local bank has a notary, simply call the branch and ask about their services.

If your bank doesn’t offer notary services, or you’d prefer for someone else to notarize the document, you have other options:

• Courthouses—Much like banks, many courthouses ask that employees become notaries to help with legal and financial tasks. Depending on the policies of your local courthouse, someone there may be able to help with your document.
• Public spaces like colleges and libraries—Schools, libraries and other public services sometimes employ notaries to help their visitors. Always make sure to call ahead first, however, to ensure one is available to help you.
• Law offices and professional service firms—If you’ve hired an attorney to create a legal document for you, they’ll usually have a staff who can witness the signing of the document. The same is true for other professional services, such as your real estate agent helping you notarize documents relating to a home purchase, or a car dealership notarizing a bill of sale on a new vehicle.
• UPS stores and private businesses—If all else fails, you may be able to find a notary through a private business in your area. UPS stores offer notary services for a fee, while some more populated areas may have private or mobile notaries who are unaffiliated with any other business or institution.

Does it cost money to notarize something?

Notaries are generally limited by state law to a maximum they may charge to notarize a document.

For example, notaries in Wisconsin may only charge up to $5.00 for their services, plus an optional travel fee if they perform their services outside their office.

However, while states generally set the maximum on how much notaries can charge, there is no minimum they need to bill for their services.

Many professional services businesses, such as banks or law firms, will help employees become notaries and then offer their services for free alongside other offerings.

For this reason, when looking for someone to notarize a document, your first stop should always be either your local bank or the professional service firm that’s helping you prepare the document or finalize the transaction (law firm, car dealership, real estate office, etc.).

What are some examples of documents I might need to have notarized?

Generally speaking, there are three categories of documents: those that need to be notarized, those that should be notarized, and those where notarization doesn’t really matter.

The difference between the first two points will depend on the laws and best practices of your state or local jurisdiction. In most cases, it’s recommended that you notarize any documents that could potentially be brought up in court at some point in the future.

This means that documents pertaining to a business or partnership and any large purchases or loans, such as bills of sale and mortgages, should be notarized to confirm their validity.

Here are a few specific examples of commonly notarized documents:

• Articles of incorporation—Aspiring entrepreneurs who want to register their new business with their state government will often have to get their articles of incorporation notarized to formalize the business’s structure and division of owner equity.
• Power of attorney—A power of attorney is a legal document that gives you certain legal powers to act on another’s behalf, such as managing finances or entering into contracts. Most states require (or strongly recommend) that a power of attorney be notarized to remain valid and enforceable.
• Wills and estate documents—Most legal documents pertaining to an estate (such as wills, trust documents, medical directives and a durable power of attorney) need to be notarized to be considered legal in the eyes of the law.
• Mortgages and high-value transactions—Most legal and financial documents pertaining to high-value transactions will require (or benefit from) having the documents notarized. Often, this is the case in transactions such as buying or selling a home or vehicle, taking out a mortgage, transferring ownership of an asset to another via a deed and other similarly high-stakes transactions.

Look to your local bank for all your notary needs

At Associated Bank, all our branches have notaries on staff to help our customers with their document verification needs.

If you’d like to have a document notarized, make sure to check with your local branch first to make sure a notary will be available when you plan to arrive.

Additionally, bring all the necessary identification and paperwork to have your documents notarized. If your document requires witnesses—such as a last will and testament—make sure to follow all relevant laws to ensure the right people are present to assist with the notarization process.

Notarizing a document doesn’t have to be difficult. By working with a notary at one of our local branches, you can quickly and easily formalize your legal documents and get back to the tasks that are important to you.