Notary Public Information & Requirements

Illinois Notary Public Responsibilities

Our office is located in Cook County, Illinois. All notarial acts are performed in accordance with the Illinois Notary Public Act (5 ILCS 312) and other applicable Illinois laws.

A Notary Public is commissioned by the State of Illinois to help deter fraud by verifying the identity of individuals signing important documents and by performing authorized notarial acts.

A Notary Public's responsibility is to verify the identity of the signer, confirm that the signer personally appears before the Notary Public, determine that the signer is acting knowingly and willingly, and properly perform authorized notarial acts.

A Notary Public is not authorized to prepare legal documents or provide legal advice unless the notary is also a licensed attorney authorized to practice law in the State of Illinois.

1. What a Notary Public May Do

• Verify the identity of the signer using satisfactory evidence of identity as required by Illinois law.
• Require the signer to personally appear before the Notary Public at the time of notarization.
• Confirm that the signer is signing knowingly and voluntarily.
• Take acknowledgments.
• Administer oaths and affirmations.
• Witness or attest signatures when authorized by Illinois law.
• Complete the notarial certificate accurately and completely.
• Affix the official signature and official seal as required by Illinois law.
• Maintain records when required by the Illinois Notary Public Act or other applicable Illinois law.
• Refuse to perform a notarization if the requirements of Illinois law have not been met or if fraud, coercion, duress, or unsatisfactory identification is suspected.

2. What a Notary Public Cannot Do

To protect the public and comply with Illinois law, a Notary Public may not engage in the unauthorized practice of law unless the notary is a licensed Illinois attorney.

A Notary Public cannot:

• Prepare, draft, or create legal documents for customers unless the notary is a licensed Illinois attorney.
• Provide legal advice or explain the legal effect of any document.
• Tell customers which legal document they need or recommend one legal form over another.
• Sign documents on behalf of another person unless authorized by law.
• Notarize a signature unless the signer personally appears before the Notary Public at the time the notarization is performed.

3. When We Cannot Perform a Notarization

Under the Illinois Notary Public Act and other applicable Illinois law, we cannot perform notarizations:

• By telephone
• By FaceTime
• By Skype
• By Zoom or any other video conferencing platform
• By email
• By text message
• By mailing documents for notarization
• By electronically transmitting documents when the signer is not personally present before the Notary Public

To complete a notarization, the signer must personally appear before the Notary Public and present valid, government-issued photo identification, such as:

• A valid Driver's License
• A valid State Identification Card
• A valid U.S. Passport or Foreign Passport
• Another form of identification acceptable under Illinois law

The Notary Public must verify the identity of the signer, confirm that the signer is signing knowingly and voluntarily, and complete the notarial act in accordance with the Illinois Notary Public Act and other applicable Illinois laws.

If the signer does not personally appear before the Notary Public, the notarization cannot legally be performed.

If you need a legal document prepared, please contact a licensed Illinois attorney. Once your document has been completed, we will be happy to notarize your signature, provided all requirements of the Illinois Notary Public Act and other applicable Illinois laws have been satisfied.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.