What a notary public actually does

A notary public is a person commissioned by a state government to act as an impartial witness when someone signs an important document — the goal is to make it harder for one party to later claim “I never signed that” or “that’s not really my signature.” In practice, a notary’s job comes down to four specific acts, and most notarizations fall into one of them:

• Acknowledgments — the signer appears before the notary and confirms they signed the document willingly, for its stated purpose. Common for deeds, powers of attorney, and other documents the signer already signed or is about to sign in the notary’s presence.
• Jurats — the signer swears or affirms that the contents of the document are true, then signs it in front of the notary. Common for affidavits and sworn statements, where the truthfulness of the content itself matters, not just the identity of the signer.
• Oaths and affirmations — a spoken promise, administered by the notary, that something is true or that the person will perform a duty honestly. This can stand alone (not attached to a document) or accompany a jurat.
• Certified copies — the notary certifies that a copy of a document is a true, accurate reproduction of the original. Not every state allows notaries to do this, and some document types (like vital records) usually require a certified copy from the issuing agency instead.

In every case, the notary’s role is narrow and specific: verify the signer’s identity (usually with a government-issued photo ID), watch the signature happen (or watch the signer swear to what they’ve already signed), and record the notarization in a journal. The notary isn’t vouching for the document’s content, its legality, or its fairness — only for the fact that a specific person appeared, was identified, and signed or swore in the notary’s presence.

What does “notarized” actually mean?

When people say a document is “notarized,” they mean a commissioned notary completed one of the acts above and applied their official seal or stamp and signature to the document, along with a notarial certificate — the standardized paragraph (often pre-printed or attached) that states what type of notarization occurred, when, and where. That certificate is what makes the notarization legally recognizable later; a signature and a stamp with no certificate language usually isn’t a valid notarization.

Notarized is often confused with two other terms that mean something different:

• Certified usually means an official copy issued directly by the agency that holds the original record (a certified copy of a birth certificate from a vital records office, for example) — not something a notary can typically do for that document type.
• Authenticated (or apostilled) is a separate, additional step for documents that need to be recognized in another country — it happens after notarization, through a state or federal office, not through the notary directly.

What a notary cannot do

Because the role is specifically about witnessing and verifying, not advising, there are clear limits on what a notary is allowed to do, regardless of which state commissioned them:

• Give legal advice. Unless the notary is separately a licensed attorney, they cannot tell you what a document means, whether you should sign it, or how to fill it out. Doing so is considered the unauthorized practice of law in most states.
• Notarize their own signature, or a document they have a personal financial interest in. A notary has to be a disinterested party — most states explicitly prohibit notarizing for yourself, your spouse, or (in many states) close relatives.
• Guarantee that a document is legally valid, fair, or enforceable. Notarization confirms who signed and how — it says nothing about whether the document itself holds up legally.
• Notarize a document if the signer doesn’t understand it or appears to be signing under pressure. A notary is required to refuse if the signer seems confused, coerced, or unable to communicate meaningfully with the notary.
• Certify true copies of certain document types, like vital records (birth/death certificates) in most states — those require a certified copy from the issuing government office instead.

What it costs to get something notarized

Most states cap the fee a notary can charge per signature or per notarial act — commonly somewhere in the $2 to $15 range for standard, in-person notarization, though the exact maximum is set by each state and can be higher for electronic or remote online notarization. Mobile notaries (who travel to you) and loan-signing services typically charge more on top of the per-act fee to cover travel time. Getting something notarized is a different question from the cost of becoming a notary yourself — becoming commissioned involves education, exam, bond, and application costs that run into the hundreds of dollars; see the state-by-state breakdown on our Notary Public Requirements by State hub for exact figures where we’ve covered them.

How to become a notary public

The general process is similar across states, even though the specific requirements vary: confirm you’re eligible (usually 18+ and a resident, or working, in the state), complete any required education course, pass an exam if the state requires one, purchase a surety bond if required, and submit your application with the appropriate fee. Every state does this differently enough that the details matter — see our state-specific guides, starting with California, Texas, and Florida, or browse the full list of states we cover.