Preparing For Your Notary Appointment

Carrie Elizabeth Worthen
California Notary
Public Commission #2465081
Insured and Bonded
559-690-6528
559notarytogo@gmail.com

Sequoia Mobile Notary FAQs

Thank you for choosing Sequoia Mobile Notary! Sequoia Mobile Notary is based in Visalia, California and owned by Notary Public, Carrie Elizabeth Worthen ( that's me). I hold a Notary Commission with the State of California. I have been background screened, bonded and insured. I have 25 years in customer service as well as experience in legal advocacy work. I am a very organized, detail driven person and I enjoy customer service so notary work is very rewarding for me. I pride myself on providing professional, accurate, quick and friendly service. I have a mobile business which allows me to come to your home, business, school, hospital, church, or even meet you at a coffee shop. I can come anywhere that is convenient for you and quickly notarize your documents.


If this is your first time needing a document notarized, you may be wondering what to expect. The first thing you will need to do is make sure you have proper identification. Next you will need to decide what type of notarization you will need. Third, you will need to check if you need someone to act as a witness to you signing your document. I have further information on all these steps below.

If you have any questions at all about the notarization process don't hesitate to reach out.


If you have a special circumstance, for example a loved one in the hospital who needs a document notarized, there are notary procedures to assist with these types of situations.

Your Notary Appointment

Type of Notarization

Do you need an Acknowledgement or a Jurat certificate?

When you need a document notarized the first step is to determine what type of notary service you require. In order for a notarization to be valid and legal there are requirements the Notary must abide by. A Notary Public is prohibited by law from giving any type of legal advice including advising clients on what type of notarization they should request. So how do you choose? Some forms clearly show what type of notarization is required. Some forms may give no clear indication or clear instructions. If that is the case a Notary may explain the different options but cannot choose for the client. The two most commonly used notarizations are Acknowledgments and Jurats.


An Acknowledgement is the most commonly used notarization. The signer must appear in front of the notary, be identified with proper and satisfactory identification, and the signer must either sign in the presence of the Notary or acknowledge that they signed the document.

A Jurat has similar requirements to an Acknowledgement. The signer must appear in person in front of the Notary and provide proper and satisfactory identification. However, a Jurat has the additional step of the signer taking an oath or affirmation, under penalty of perjury, stating that all substance and statements in the document(s) are truthful. After the oath is sworn, the client is permitted to sign and date the document.


So when choosing, ask yourself: Do I need the notary to simply acknowledge that this document has been signed? Or do I need an oath to be sworn attesting to the truthfulness of the document as well?


If you have more questions about this please reach out for further explanation.

What type of ID do I need to have a document notarized?

A Notary Public must be able to confirm the identity of the signer in order to legally complete a notarial act. Verifying the identity of the signer is one of the most important responsibilities a Notary has to their clients and the public.


A Notary Public can confirm a signer’s identity in two ways:

identification documents ( for example, a driver's license) or

witness(s) personally known to the signer that are comfortable swearing an oath attesting to the signer's identity, This section option is available if the signer has no acceptable identification documents.

This person is referred to as a Credible Witness or Identifying Witness. Depending on your circumstances you may need one or two Credible witnesses if you have no Identification Documents. A single credible witness must be personally known to the Notary and the signer. If that option does not apply to you, two credible witnesses known personally to the signer can also be used. Identifying Witnesses or Credible Witnesses must swear an oath attesting to the truth of their statements, under penalty of perjury.


Accepted Identification Documents

Identification Documents – The Notary Public can establish the identity of the signer using the following accepted forms of ID ( must be current or issued within 5 years).

An identification card or driver’s license issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles

A United States passport

An inmate identification card issued by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, if the inmate is in custody in California state prison

Any form of inmate identification issued by a sheriff's department, if the inmate is in custody in a local detention facility

The following forms of identification be can be accepted provided that it also contains a photograph, description of the person, signature of the person, and an identifying number:

A valid consular identification document issued by a consulate from the applicant’s country of citizenship, or a valid passport from the applicant’s country of citizenship

A driver’s license issued by another state or by a Canadian or Mexican public agency authorized to issue driver’s licenses

An identification card issued by another state

A United States military identification card (caution: current military identification cards might not contain all the required information)

An employee identification card issued by an agency or office of the State of California, or an agency or force of a city, county, or city and county in California.

An identification card issued by a federally recognized tribal government.

What if I don't have ID?

Single Credible Witness

If person who personally knows the Notary Public and personally know the signer and who has accepted identification can swear an oath to the identity of the signer. This is called a Credible Witness or Identifying Witness. The Notary Public must establish the identity of the credible witness by the presentation of Identifying Documents listed above. Under oath, the credible witness must swear or affirm that each of the following is true :

1. The individual appearing before the notary public as the signer of the document is the person named in the document;

2. The credible witness personally knows the signer;


3. The credible witness reasonably believes that the circumstances of the signer are such that it would be very difficult or impossible for the signer to obtain another form of identification; 4. The signer does not possess any of the identification documents authorized by law to establish the signer’s identity; and the credible witness does not have a financial interest and is not named in the document signed.


Two Credible Witnesses


The identity of the signer can be established by the oaths of two credible witnesses whom the Notary Public does not personally know. The witnesses must both personally know the signer and be comfortable swearing to their identity. The Notary Public must verify the identities of the two credible witnesses by the presentation of identification documents as listed above. Under oath, the credible witnesses must swear or affirm under penalty of perjury to each item listed above in the Single Witness section.

Do You Need A Signature Witnesses?

If the document you need notarized requires a witness to your signature, please arrange to have a witness at your appointment with valid identification. A witness's responsibility is simply to watch you sign your document and then sign the document attesting to that. If you do not have someone available to act as a witness, I can provide one for you.

<a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/beautiful-shot-calm-lake-yosemite-national-park-california_17545681.htm#position=4">Image by wirestock</a> on Freepik

I know all this can sound a bit confusing, so never hesitate to ask for clarification or more details! Reach out to me directly, leave a comment here or on social media and I will be happy to answer any questions. I will also be posting more fascinating notary facts here on my blog.

- Carrie