Frequently Asked Questions

We service the entire county of Palm Beach.  We do however concentrate on the following cities for Notarizations in order to minimize the travel cost for you:  Notary in West Palm Beach, Notary in Royal Palm Beach, Notary in Wellington, Notary in Palm Beach Gardens, Notary in North Palm Beach, Notary in Lake Park, and Notary in Loxahatchee.  To find us, search online for Notary near me.

We service the entire county of Palm Beach.  We do however concentrate on the following cities for Apostilles in order to minimize the travel cost for you:  Apostille in West Palm Beach, Apostille in Royal Palm Beach, Apostille in Wellington, Apostille in Palm Beach Gardens, Apostille in North Palm Beach, Apostille in Lake Park, Apostille in Loxahatchee, and Apostille in Palm Beach.  To find us, search online for Apostille service near me.  

A notary public is an official appointed by the state government, typically by the secretary of state, to serve the public as an impartial official of integrity. Notaries play a crucial role in various legal and financial transactions by acting as witnesses to the signing or authentication of important documents.

We can notarize various types of documents, including affidavits, power of attorney, deeds, contracts, trusts, wills,  copies of passport, drivers license, marriage licenses, and more.

• The person whose signature is being notarized is not in the presence of the notary at the time the signature is notarized. §117.107(9) 
• The document is incomplete
• The notary actually knows that the person signing has been adjudicated mentally incapacitated.
• The notary many NOT give legal advice unless the notary is a licensed attorney
• Take the acknowledgment of a person who does not speak or understand the English language, unless the nature and effect of the instrument to be notarized is translated into a language which the person does understand. §117.107(6). 
• Notarize a signature on a document if it appears that the person is mentally incapable of understanding the nature and effect of the document at the time of notarization. §117.107(5). 
• A notary cannot notarize a vital record such as a birth certificate or a death certificate, etc....
• A notary cannot notarize a federal document such as a naturalization certificate or a FBI background check.

You will need to bring a valid government-issued ID, the documents that are to be notarized, and the person(s) whose signature is to be notarized.  Important: The documents cannot be blank.

Your ID must be current OR issued within the last 5 years AND bear a serial or ID number.

Drivers Licenses: 

• Issued by the Fl Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• Issued by a territory of the United States, another state, Canada or Mexico

Passports:

• Issued by the U.S. Department of State
• Issued by a foreign government, if stamped by the U.S. Department of Justice, Immigration & Naturalization Service

Identification Cards:

• Issued by the FL Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• Issued by a territory of the United States or a state other than Florida
• Issued by any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces (DD Form 2)
• Veteran Health card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, US Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services (Resident Alien)

Inmate Card:

• Issued on or after 1/1/1991 by the FL Department of Corrections for an inmate who is currently in custody of the Department. (No signature on card.)
• Issued by the US DOJ, Bureau of Prisons, for an inmate who is in the custody of the department.  
• A sworn, written statement from a sworn law enforcement officer that the forms of identification for an inmate in an institution of confinement were confiscated upon confinement, and that the person named in the document is the person whose signature is to be notarized. 

No identification:

• Sworn written statement of a credible witness who is personally known to the notary AND who personally knows the signer. OR
• Sworn written statement of two credible witnesses whose identities are proven to the notary and who personally know the signer, AND

1. The person whose signature is to be notarized is the person named in the document. 
2. The person whose signature is to be notarized is personally known to the witnesses
3. That it is the reasonable belief of the witnesses that the circumstances of the person whose signature is to be notarized are such that it would be very difficult or impossible for that person to obtain another form of identification
4. The person whose signature is to be notarized does not possess any of the identification documents specified herein; and
5. The witnesses do not have a financial interest in nor are parties to the underlying transaction. 

An apostille can only be issued by a Secretary of State or the U.S. Department of State.  The document type determines where your document can be apostilled.  To get a document apostilled from the Florida Department of State, you will have to send your document to them.  The processing time when mailed to them directly is approximately 3 to 4 weeks.  Before sending your document to them, you must first make sure that your document is eligible in its present state to be apostilled.  There are certain critical steps that must be taken in order to avoid being rejected.  Save time and hassle and contact us to get your document apostilled in as little as 3 to 5 business days, and done right the first time.

Yes.  An apostille can be rejected for a few reasons.  They include:

• Incomplete application
• Document quality: The Apostille authority may reject the document if it is difficult to read or has smudges that interfere with the information on the document. 
• Fraudulent Document: If the Florida Secretary of State suspects that the document is fraudulent, it may be rejected for the Apostille.
• Signature mismatch: If the official's signature on the document being submitted does not match the signature on file for that official, it will be rejected.
• if the document was not notarized properly, it will be rejected.
• If the document is sent to the incorrect competent authority, it will be rejected