Notary Public (Notarius publicus)
The County Administrative Board appoints Notary Public, who serves the public by, for example, verifying signatures.
Public notaries are persons whose mission is to serve the public by checking and verifying various data. The title has its roots in Latin and roughly means ”public secretary”. To become a public notary you must have a law degree. You may not be declared bankrupt or have a trustee under the Family Code.
The County Administrative Board appoints Notary Public. The assignment may be temporary. We specify the geographical area, usually a municipality, in which the notary will serve. However, the notary is qualified to work in other areas.
Contact your County Administrative Board for a list of available Notaries Public.
Anyone who has an appointment as a notary public is responsible for ensuring that the appointment is valid when performing tasks. The County Administrative Board does not send reminders about possible renewal.
What does a Notary Public do?
Among other things, a Notary Public serves the public by:
- verifying signatures, copies, translations, and other data concerning the content in various documents,
- witnessing when storage rooms are opened or closed, or when seals are put in place or are broken,
- supervising lottery draws,
- confirming that someone is qualified to do certain things, or that someone has the competence or capacity to represent someone else,
- providing documents with an apostille (an authorized stamp that certifies that a signature on the document is genuine).
A Notary Public is paid for its services.