A notary (also called a notary public) is a person authorized by law to administer oaths, certify documents and signatures, and perform other official commercial duties. Notaries are frequently employed to witness and verify signatures on a range of legal documents. Many legal documents must be notarized including wills, powers of attorney, and deeds.
The requirements to become a notary public differ by state. States typically require someone to meet character and education standards in order to become a notary. However, states often allow lawyers to automatically become eligible to be a notary. For example, New York Executive Law §130 requires that the secretary of state approve an applicant’s “good moral character, has the equivalent of a common school education and is familiar with the duties and responsibilities of a notary public.”
[Last updated in October of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team]