KNOWLEDGE CENTER

• DO NOT sign/date document(s) before-hand.
  To get a document notarized, you have to sign it in front of a Notary Public or court clerk. Notaries are people with the power to make legal documents valid. They will bear-witness while you sign the document, after which, they will sign the document and affix an official Notary Stamp or Seal.
  
• Please bring a valid form of ID
  The Notary Public Officer must be able to establish that you are who you say you are (unless they personally know you).

 *Here are some acceptable Forms of Identification for Notary Services: 

• State-issued driver's license 
• State-issued identification card 
• U.S. passport issued by the U.S. Department of State 
• U.S. military ID 
• State, county and local government IDs 
• Permanent resident card, or "green card," issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 
• Foreign passport* -Driver's license officially issued in Mexico or Canada*
   

Some examples of documents that are commonly notarized are: affidavits, Power of Attorney, medical documents like Health Care Directives, and documents that transfer assets to another person like wills, deeds and trusts.  

• Can a Notarial Officer certify a copy of a birth or death certificate? 

A Minnesota Notary CAN NOT certify a copy of a birth, death or marriage certificate, instead contact the Minnesota Department of Health to obtain a copy of a birth or death certificate.

• FOREIGN DOCUMENTS:

For foreign birth certificates, contact the consulate of the country of origin. To obtain a copy of a marriage certificate contact the county office where the marriage took place.

• PASSPORT & DRIVER'S LICENSE

Yes - a MN Notarial Officer can Notarize copies of these documents. 

Set up an appointment with us to get your I-9 Forms (section 2) completed. Here are a few things you need to know about the I-9 form and what a Notary can do with it:

• A Notary cannot and should not affix his/her stamp and or seal to the I-9 form. The form itself DOES NOT carry any notarial certifications, hence, it does not require the same.
• A Notary CAN complete Section 2 of the form, having verified the employee’s valid ID and receiving a letter of instructions regarding the same. 
• The employer is not permitted to determine or decide which documents the employee must produce as long as the documentation is provided from the lists in the I-9 form's Lists of Acceptable Documents.
• Employers, please provide an email authorizing Blaine Notary Services as an "Authorized Representative" on your behalf to complete section 2 of the I9 form, as it relates to the Employee(s)' employment. 
• Alternatively, employees: please bring with you a (digital or printed) copy of the letter/email of instructions on how to go about getting this process done. This should have been provided by your employer.

 A Notarial Act is any act performed by Notary Public that he/she is authorized to do in his/her official capacity. Types of Notarial Acts include:

• Acknowledgments
• Affirmations 
• Jurats
• Copy certifications
• Witnessing signatures 
• Administering oaths. 

Other Acts Performed:

• Notary Signing Agent: guiding you through the signing process of your loan documents in an efficient, professional and honest manner. 
• I-9 Forms: completion of section 2 
• Legal Marriages: we are Licensed to perform marriages in the state of Minnesota (and throughout the USA).