Common Documents Requiring Caution!
The following documents require particular attention from notaries:
Ohio Vehicle Titles
This document is too often completed incorrectly for private sales between individuals, resulting in the need (and expense) to obtain a duplicate title. Important points to remember:
Ensure the name on the front of the title matches that of the ID presented; Joseph Smith is NOT the same person as Joseph Smith Jr!
The Seller should not complete any of the spaces, and cannot sign the title, until the notary is present. Any erasures or other alterations to the title WILL VOID IT!
Make certain the deal is going to be completed before executing the Assignment of Ownership. The buyer does not need to be present for the Seller to complete the Assignment section; but the Seller MUST have the name and address of the buyer in order to complete the section, and have their signature notarized. No blank spaces!!
All Sellers/signers must personally appear before the notary! NO exceptions! They must sign as their name appears on the front of the title as the vehicle owner. If multiple owners, both must sign, although not necessarily at the same time. One owner can be notarized separately if necessary, in another location and separate date. A loose jurat certificate must be attached to the title document for the second notarization.
If the owner has had a name change, for example Mary Jones to Mary Smith, they may sign the document, Mary Smith FKA (Formerly Known As) Mary Jones. They could also sign Mary Jones NKA (Now Known As) Mary Smith, or Mary Smith AKA (Also Known As) Mary Jones. These variations have the Seller attest that the names shown are the same person as shown on their ID.
The Assignment of Ownership section is a SWORN statement by the Seller(s), that the information they are providing for the title transfer is truthful and correct. This includes the buyer’s name/address, the odometer reading, and the ACTUAL sales price. Each Seller/signer must be ID’d, given an oath/affirmation, and sign in the presence of the notary.
Again, the Assignment of Ownership section signature(s) cannot be notarized with any blank spaces on the section. Note that there is no such thing as an “Open” title for a private sale. The seller cannot just sign over the title to the buyer, to have it notarized later; the title transfer section document must be completely filled in and signed before the notary. NO EXCEPTIONS!! If previously signed without a notary present, the Seller may appear before a notary and re-sign next to the original signature; but use a different color ink, and do NOT line through the original signature!
Again, the seller MUST appear, show ID, complete all spaces, be sworn, and sign before the notary. This is the reason the state requires notaries for this process – to prevent fraud. Otherwise, someone could steal a title document, forge a signature as the seller, and then acquire a new title. The only exception to this is if the signer has executed a BMV Power of Attorney form permitting a third party to act and sign on his/her behalf. This POA form is available at all BMV locations or their website, and must also have a notarized signature. As mentioned below, we cannot handle other financial POAS, or titles with court/executor documents; only the title clerks can approve this paperwork!
Do NOT complete the Buyer's Application for a New Title on the bottom part of the document. This section contains certain information that only the County Clerk of Courts can provide, such as the sales tax due.The buyer may also be taking the vehicle to another state for registration.
For unusual Title situations, don't try to do too much. Do NOT do Sellers with financial POAs (EXCEPT specific Ohio BMV POAs), Court Executor letters, Death Certificates, etc; we cannot judge whether those documents are acceptable. Send them to their County Clerk's of Courts Title office; the Clerks there will determine if their documents are acceptable for the transfer.
An embossing notary seal is recommended for the older, pre 2019 Ohio title forms that are NOT letter-sized; there's little room for an inked seal on your notary certificate.
When an odometer reading is less than six fixtures, add leading zeroes to the number so it cannot be altered later. For example, an odometer reading of 85,615, would be written in as 085,615.
Living Will and Health Care Power of Attorney
These two important documents go hand-in-hand, and everyone should have both of them. They are essential to conveying your wishes regarding your health care, and for designating a family member or other person of your choice to make health decisions on your behalf if you become unconscious or incapacitated.
These documents are readily available from the Ohio Department of Health website, senior citizen centers, county agencies on aging, or the social services departments of most health care facilities. Ensure your documents are Ohio-compliant; store-bought documents or those on the internet may not be.
Please don’t wait until you’re already in the hospital, or very ill. If the notary cannot determine that you are aware of, and fully understand, what you are signing, the notarization cannot legally be completed. Get these documents completed BEFORE you need them, and have copies available whenever you enter a health facility. This provides you and your family the peace of mind of knowing your wishes will be followed.
General,Durable, Limited or other Financial Power of Attorney Forms
This is another very important document that permits a person/agent of your choice to handle your financial and personal affairs in your absence, or if you are unable to. These may include your bank accounts, securities, home mortgage, and other essential activities. A POA is a very powerful instrument that should be drawn up and executed with the utmost care and consideration.
The notary must ensure to THEIR satisfaction that the signer is lucid, competent, and aware of what they are signing, and doing so freely. Do NOT let family members "coach" or coerce the signer into signing. The best way to ensure signer awareness is to ask the signer directly, to tell you what they are signing, and the purpose of the document. If their response is not satisfactory, the notary CANNOT proceed. The family will need to contact the social services staff at the facility, or their attorney for further assistance.
While there are generic forms available at local stores and on the internet, these may not necessarily be compliant with state or county requirements. There are several types of Financial POAs, and they all have different powers and beginning/ending points. Be sure you have the proper POA that fulfills your wishes! Check with your bank or attorney on which form may be best for your situation.
Always check with your financial institution to determine what format they will accept in the handling of, and access to, your accounts; they may also have their own POA form that they prefer you use.
Again, Ohio law requires that the document signer is signing freely, without any coercion. As mentioned, if the notary is not satisfied that the signer is fully aware of the document content, and signing it freely, then the notarization cannot occur. If coercion or abuse is suspected, Ohio notaries are Mandated Reporters, and are required to report such actions to the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services.
Last Will & Testament
If a person dies without a Last Will, the County Probate Court will determine what happens to the assets they spent a lifetime building, and it may not be in the way they would have wanted.
In Ohio, the testator signature on wills are NOT notarized. The signature is only witnessed (by two completely disinterested persons) rather than notarized. It is always best that this important document be prepared to their specific wishes by a local attorney - it's well worth the cost to ensure it is done properly, and to avoid potentially unpleasant surprises later.
Copy Certifications
In Ohio, notaries are not permitted to directly certify, or affix a seal to, copies of documents, photographs, or anything else not involving a signature.
However, the person providing the document copy can make a written statement attesting that the copy is a true reproduction of the original, and then have their signature notarized on that statement, which is then attached to the copy. The statement can also be made and signature notarized directly upon the copy if requested by the signer. This called Copy Certification by Document Custodian.
Please note that copies of U.S. military IDs cannot be copied or certified.
Note that the signer must be asked which type of notarization they prefer, and the proper notarial certificate provided with the signer's statement. The Copy Certification procedure is shown in the Library section of our website.
Foreign-language documents
Signers from a foreign country frequently need notarization for document signatures going to their home country, and the documents may be written in ther native language. Remember you are notarizing the signature, not the document, and we have no interest in the document content.
So long as the signer has ID and can convey to the notary in English that they are aware of what they're signing, the notary asks them which type of notarization they would like, and explains the difference. Then attach the appropriate Ohio notary certificate, stamp and seal.
I-9 Forms
These US Customs & Immigration Service forms are frequently presented to notaries by Ohio residents who are employed by out-of-state companies, with a request to notarize them. They may need a paper or electronic version of the form completed.
Notaries are usually sought out for this form due to their familiarity with verifying IDs and trustworthiness; BUT importantly, the I-9 form IS NOT A NOTARIZABLE DOCUMENT!!
The I-9 form does not contain a notary certificate; it asks simply that you verify the ID documents presented.
You MAY ONLY sign Section 2 of the form as a third-party "Authorized Representative" of the company, that you have verified the IDs. But you should NEVER sign an I-9 as a Notary Public, nor affix your seal to this document, or any accompanying document that asks you to certify/verify yourself as a notary public. You are not acting as a notary in ANY way. Section 2 must also include the name/address of the requesting employer - NOT your home/business address!!
If the remote employee objects to not being notarized, provide them the letter from our national association explaining why the I-9 document cannot be signed as a notary or sealed. A copy is available under the Library tab of the OSN website.
Note too that, since there is not any notarial act involved with the I-9 form, there are no state fee restrictions, or limits to what may be charged for these. Provide the signer with a receipt, as many remote employers will reimburse the employee for your service.
Signing with a Power of Attorney
A person may sign on behalf of another person by authority given them through a Power of Attorney. If Mary Smith is signing on behalf of her absent husband, she would sign the document "John Smith by Mary Smith, his Attorney-in-Fact", or "POA".
Your notary certificate should show that Mary signed for John in her representative capacity of Attorney-in-Fact.
Two important points: 1) If the document is an Affidavit, requiring administration of an Oath/Affirmation, Mary cannot take an Oath for her absent husband in her representative capacity as Attorney-in-Fact, and an acknowledgement notary certificate must be used for John'snotarization, showing Mary's representative capacity in his behalf, and that she did not take an Oath/Affirmation.
If Mary is also signing the document, she WILL take the Oath/Affirmation for herself, and the proper jurat certificate is shown on the document confirming the Oath was given to her. So in this example, separate acknowledgement and jurat notary certificates for both Mary and John would be attached to the document.
2)The notary does NOT need to see the POA, OR attempt to verify its legitimacy. This can be considered UPL. You are there to properly notarize signatures, nothing else, and must accept the word of the POA signer. Determining the validity of the POA is the responsibility of the Document Originator, who will decide if the POA meets their criteria when they receive the documents.
Help Is Available
In the Columbus area, if signers have questions or need assistance with a Living Will, Power of Attorney, Last Will & Testament, or other legal documents, have the signer or their family contact an attorney or county Bar Association. The Capital University Legal Clinic at (614) 236-6245, and Legal Aid at (614) 224-8374 are also agencies signers can turn to. Social Services staff at health care facilities may also be able to assist. Additionally, legal help statewide for those over 60 is available from ProSeniors at (800) 488-6070.
Check with their local senior citizens center, county agency on aging or call 211 for additional resources. Their county Bar Association also operates a lawyer referral service if they don’t have an attorney. Similar agencies are available throughout Ohio.
Please note:
Notarization of a signature does not make a document "legal"; it simply means the signer personally appeared to the notary, provided ID, was aware of the documents contents and signed the document freely, and was administered an oath/affirmation if required, in addition to the other required elements for notarization (see "Notarization Elements" tab).
Unless also an attorney, a notary public may not provide legal advice, or otherwise engage in the unauthorized practice of law (UPL).