notary

A notary, or notary public, is an official who witnesses signatures, administers oaths, and certifies the authenticity of documents. Notaries serve as impartial witnesses in a range of legal transactions, helping to deter fraud and provide a verifiable record of notarizations.

In the United States, notaries are state officers commissioned by the secretary of state or a similar authority. They must remain neutral and typically may not practice law or give legal advice. Notarial acts include acknowledgments, jurats, oaths, and copy certification. Many states require a bond and periodic background checks, and notaries often maintain a logbook and affix a seal or stamp to completed acts. The precise duties and rules are defined by state law and can vary between jurisdictions.

Internationally, notarial authority and functions vary widely. In Canada, notaries public exist in most provinces with powers that differ by region; in Quebec, notaries are civil-law notaries who draft and authenticate a broad range of legal instruments, such as real estate deeds, wills, and marriage contracts. In the United Kingdom, notaries are appointed by the Crown and regulated by the Faculty Office; they primarily authenticate documents for international use and collaborate with legal professionals when needed. Other countries have their own systems and titles for analogous roles.

Common notarial acts include acknowledgment, jurat, attestation of signatures, copy certification, administering oaths, and affidavits; notaries may also handle protests of negotiable instruments. For international transactions, notaries often facilitate apostilles or legalization to ensure documents are recognized abroad.

The term derives from the Latin notarius, a scribe and record-keeper. The profession developed in medieval Europe and remains a specialized legal function in many jurisdictions today.