Notary Services

This service is provided to all University of Washington employees.

A notarization is generally an assurance made by a Notary Public that a document’s signature is genuine, that the signer acted without duress and that the signer intended the terms of the document to be in full force and effect.

Most requests for notarization involve the signing of documents. In all cases, all signers and any required witness(es) must be present for the notarization. You’ll need to bring acceptable ID as required by your state along with all pages of the document being notarized.

Before you schedule your appointment

Do not sign or date the document (documents must be signed and dated in the presence of a Notary)
Make sure you have all the pages of the document(s) being signed, not just the signature page
Make sure all document signers have state-acceptable ID
When you (as well as any additional document signers and required witnesses) arrive at your appointment, the Notary will review your document(s) to determine the notarization requirements and whether we are able to complete the notarization. From start to finish, the typical appointment takes about 30 minutes.

To schedule an appointment

Therese Zorich, Notary
thgrant@uw.edu
425-352-5404

Common Questions

What is a notary?

A Notary Public is an individual who has been recognized by the state government as being able to serve as an objective witness and provide notarizations. A notarization is generally an assurance made by a Notary Public that a document’s signature is genuine, that the signer acted without duress and that the signer intended the terms of the document to be in full force and effect.

What is needed for a notarization?

Most requests for notarization involve the signing of documents. In all cases, all signers and any required witness(es) must be present with the Notary for the notarization. You’ll also be required to bring acceptable ID as required by your state. Be sure to bring all pages of the document being notarized (do not sign or date the document before the appointment, documents must be signed and dated in the presence of a Notary).

How do I get a document notarized?

The following steps for notarization are defined by the state. The Notary will:

Require all signer(s)/witness(es) to be present in person
Examine the document for completeness and ensure all pages are included
Obtain proper identification from all signer(s)/witness(es)
Perform the verbal confirmation
Complete the notarial certificate
Record the notarial act in their journal (as required by the state)

What forms of ID are acceptable in order to get a notarization?

Acceptable forms of ID in most states include:

State-issued driver’s license
State-issued identification card
U.S. military ID
U.S. passport (issued by U.S. Dept. of State)
State, county or local government ID

What reasons might prevent a Notary from notarizing my document?

A Notary may be unable to complete a notarization when:

All signer(s)/witness(es) are not present in person with the Notary
A document has missing pages or blank spaces that affect the intent of the document
The signer(s) cannot produce ID or is not known personally by the Notary
The Notary believes changes to the document may be made after it has been signed
There is no notarial certificate on the document and the signer cannot tell which notarial act is required
The signer and the Notary are not able to communicate with each other
The Notary believes the signer does not understand the purpose or consequences of signing
For certain notarial requests that involve complex rules or unfamiliar notarial types, the Notary may recommend that you obtain further consultation with legal counsel.