Notary Public

WHAT IS A NOTARY PUBLIC?

A Notary Public is an official of integrity appointed by state government — typically by the secretary of state — to serve the public as an impartial witness in performing a variety of official fraud-deterrent acts related to the signing of important documents. These official acts are called notarizations, or notarial acts. Notaries are publicly commissioned as "ministerial" officials, meaning that they are expected to follow written rules without the exercise of significant personal discretion, as would otherwise be the case with a "judicial" official.

A Notary's duty is to screen the signers of important documents for their true identity, their willingness to sign without duress or intimidation, and their awareness of the contents of the document or transaction. Some notarizations also require the Notary to put the signer under an oath, declaring under penalty of perjury that the information contained in a document is true and correct. Property deeds, wills and powers of attorney are examples of documents that commonly require a Notary.

Impartiality is the foundation of the Notary's public trust. They are duty-bound not to act in situations where they have a personal interest. The public trusts that the Notary's screening tasks have not been corrupted by self-interest. And impartiality dictates that a Notary never refuse to serve a person due to race, nationality, religion, politics, sexual orientation, or status as a non-customer.

As official representatives of the state, Notaries Public certify the proper execution of many of the life-changing documents of private citizens — whether those diverse transactions convey real estate, grant powers of attorney, establish a prenuptial agreement, or perform the multitude of other activities that enable our civil society to function.

Through the process of notarization, Notaries deter fraud and establish that the signer knows what document they're signing and that they're a willing participant in the transaction.

Generally, a Notary will ask to see a current ID that has a photo, physical description, and signature. Acceptable IDs usually include a driver's license or passport.

NOTARY PUBLIC GUIDELINES IN MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA

We provide Notary Public services solely for residents of Manchester-by-the-Sea following these guidelines:

• Notary Services are available during normal business hours, preferably by appointment, to ensure a Notary Public is on duty and available to assist you.

• A valid, government-issued photo identification is required of any customer seeking Notary Service. (Expired identification is not acceptable)

• The Notary Public is stating they have witnessed the document being signed; therefore, the document(s) must be signed in front of the Notary Public and all signers must be present at the time of notarizing.

• If your document requires additional witness(s), they must accompany you.

• Notary Service is not available for any Deeds, Mortgages, Power of Attorneys, Wills, Living Wills, Living Trusts, Irrevocable Trusts, Codicils or Depositions.

• In accordance with Massachusetts Notarial Law, Notaries may, at their sole discretion, decline to provide Notary Services if they feel there might be any issue of authenticity, ambiguity, doubt, or uncertainty.

• To find a notary outside Town Hall, please contact a UPS store, Staples and/or NY Mobile Notary in Peabody.

For questions and appointments regarding Notary Public services, please contact the Town Clerk’s office at 978.526.2040 or via townclerk@manchester.ma.us

Select Board Approved 4/16/2024