By Krystle Wells, Pennsylvania Commissioned Notary Public and founder of Wells Notary Service LLC

One of the most common questions I hear is, “Can you notarize this?” Sometimes the document is a contract. Sometimes it is a form from a school, employer, court, financial institution, or government agency. Sometimes the person asking is not even sure what kind of notarization the receiving party expects.

The short answer is that many different kinds of records can be notarized, but a notary does not decide whether your particular document legally needs notarization. That instruction normally comes from the document itself, the person or organization receiving it, the person who prepared it, or an attorney.

There is another part of this question that people often miss: even when a document can be notarized, the appointment still has to follow the rules of the notarial act. Before asking only whether the paper can be notarized, I want customers to ask whether the people, signatures, timing, identification, document condition, and requested notarial act are ready for a lawful notarization.

A notary handles the notarial act—not your legal decisions

A Pennsylvania notary may take acknowledgments, administer oaths and affirmations, take verifications on oath or affirmation, witness or attest signatures, certify certain copies or depositions, and note protests of negotiable instruments. Those are notarial acts. They are not legal-document selection or legal advice.

I can explain the notarial process and tell you what I need in order to perform a requested act. I cannot choose a legal document for you, tell you what document you should use, decide what wording protects you, or advise you about the document’s legal effect.

If your document does not clearly tell you what is required, ask the recipient or the document preparer. If you need help deciding what document to use or how to complete a legal transaction, ask a qualified attorney. A notary should not turn your uncertainty into a guess.

Contracts and many other records may involve notarization

People are sometimes surprised that notarization is not limited to wills, powers of attorney, or real-estate paperwork. Contracts, leases, bills of sale, affidavits, consents, waivers, and many other records may involve a notarial act.

But the document’s name alone does not answer the question. Two documents both called “consent forms” may have different instructions. One contract may require notarization while another does not. The receiving party may require a particular notarial certificate or may not require notarization at all.

Before booking, look for notarial wording near the signature area, instructions that say “acknowledged,” “sworn,” “affirmed,” “witnessed,” or “signed before a notary,” and any directions supplied by the recipient. If the instructions are missing or unclear, contact the recipient before the appointment.

Rules people often learn only after they arrive

The hardest part of many appointments is not the document. It is a preventable problem with the date, signature, signer, identification, or instructions.

A notary cannot backdate the notarial act

The notarial certificate must show the date the notarial act actually takes place. I cannot change that date to make it look as if you appeared before me earlier.

If someone asks me to falsely backdate a notarization, I explain plainly that I cannot participate in anything that would make the notarization false or misleading. Pennsylvania’s notary rules identify predating or postdating a notarial act as conduct that may lead to discipline. I will not implicate myself, my commission, or my business in an unlawful act, and the customer should not put themselves at risk either.

The lawful next step is to contact the recipient and explain the timing problem. The recipient—not the notary—can tell you whether it will accept the document with the actual notarization date or requires something else.

The required person must appear before the notary

With limited exceptions for copy certification and depositions, Pennsylvania notarial acts require the person making the statement or executing the signature to personally appear before the notary. For an authorized remote online notarization, that appearance occurs through approved live audio-video communication technology. Sending someone else with the document is not personal appearance.

A person also cannot casually sign another individual’s name and ask the notary to treat the signature as if the absent person appeared. There are legitimate situations where someone signs in a representative capacity, such as an authorized officer or trustee, but that requires real authority and the correct document and notarial handling. It is not permission to impersonate another signer.

The signer must be willing

Sometimes a relative wants a parent to sign a will or another important document and treats the appointment as if the parent has no choice. That is not acceptable. Pennsylvania permits a notary to refuse when the notary is not satisfied that the signer has capacity or that the signature is knowingly and voluntarily made.

I need to communicate with the signer and be satisfied that the signer is acting willingly. A family member cannot answer for the signer, pressure the signer into proceeding, or demand that I continue when I have a genuine concern. Notarization is not a way to force someone to accept a document.

Questions about whether a will or other legal document is valid, properly prepared, or appropriate for a person belong with a qualified attorney. My role is narrower: I must follow the rules for any notarial act I am asked to perform, and I may refuse when those rules are not satisfied.

Do not assume it is safe to sign before the appointment

Whether a prior signature can be used depends on the requested notarial act.

For an acknowledgment, the signer must personally appear, but the signer may sign in the notary’s presence or acknowledge that an earlier signature is their own. For a verification on oath or affirmation—often used with an affidavit—the signer is required to sign in the notary’s presence. A signature being witnessed or attested must also be signed in the notary’s presence.

Most customers are not expected to identify these distinctions by themselves. If the document or recipient says the record must be signed in front of a notary, do not sign it at home. When you are unsure, leave the signature blank and ask before the appointment. If it is already signed, tell the notary before booking so the correct next step can be determined without pretending the signature happened at a different time.

Bring current, acceptable identification

Expired identification is a common reason an appointment cannot proceed as planned. Pennsylvania’s ordinary government-issued identification options for satisfactory evidence include a current and unexpired passport, driver’s license, or government-issued nondriver identification card. Other lawful identity methods may exist, but they have specific requirements and are not automatic substitutes.

Before booking, check the expiration date. If your ID is expired or you are unsure whether another credential or a credible witness can be used, ask in advance. Do not wait until the appointment to discover that the notary cannot establish your identity.

A notary cannot certify a copy of a birth certificate

Customers sometimes bring a birth certificate and ask me to make a certified copy. A Pennsylvania notary may not certify a copy of a vital record such as a birth or death certificate. A certified copy must come from the agency that holds the official record.

That is more precise than saying a notary can never touch anything related to a birth record. The prohibited act is the notary issuing a certified copy of the vital record. If another document related to a person’s birth requires a separate notarial act, the customer still needs to follow the instructions from the receiving party and the applicable rules.

Request an official certified copy from the state or government agency that holds the vital record.

A practical checklist before you book

Use this checklist to prevent the most common delays:

• Read the entire document, including the signature and certificate areas.
• Ask the receiving party whether notarization is required and which notarial act or certificate it expects.
• Do not ask the notary to choose your legal document or decide what legal wording you need.
• Make sure every required signer is available and acting willingly.
• Do not sign in advance when the instructions say to sign before a notary; if you already signed, say so honestly.
• Bring current, acceptable identification and check the expiration date.
• Do not fill in a false date or ask the notary to use a date other than the actual date of the notarial act.
• Check that the document is complete and that any required attachments are available.
• Confirm whether witnesses are required and who is responsible for providing them. Wells Notary Service does not provide third-party witnesses.
• Ask the recipient whether it accepts remote online notarization before choosing an online appointment.

Can the document be notarized online?

Remote online notarization is available to customers throughout the United States. You do not have to live in Pennsylvania or be physically located in Pennsylvania for your appointment.

The location rule applies to me as the notary, not to you as the customer. As a commissioned Pennsylvania remote notary, I must be physically located in Pennsylvania when I perform the notarial act. You may connect from Pennsylvania, another U.S. state, or a U.S. territory or possession.

A remotely located customer may be in Pennsylvania, another U.S. state, or a U.S. territory or possession. A customer may also be outside the United States when the additional Pennsylvania requirements for an overseas signer are satisfied. Those include a required connection between the record or transaction and the United States, and the signing or statement must not be prohibited by the law where the customer is located.

Federal E-SIGN law provides that, for covered transactions in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a signature, contract, or record cannot be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic. It also addresses electronic notarization when the notary’s electronic signature and all other legally required information are attached to or logically associated with the record.

That federal recognition does not mean every document is eligible for RON or that every recipient must accept every electronic record. E-SIGN preserves other applicable legal requirements and does not require every person to agree to use or accept electronic records or signatures. A court, agency, recording office, document type, transaction, destination, or private recipient may have additional requirements.

To complete an eligible remote appointment, you generally need a current acceptable ID, an eligible document, the ability to pass the platform’s required identity verification, and a device and internet connection that work with the approved technology. I must also be able to complete the lawful identity and appearance process. Online convenience changes where the customer may appear; it does not remove the underlying notary rules.

In plain language: Wells can serve eligible remote customers nationwide. International customers may also qualify when the additional legal conditions for an overseas signer are satisfied.

Not sure what to do next?

If you know what your document requires and want to confirm appointment readiness, contact Wells Notary Service or begin the booking process. I can explain what to have ready for an eligible notarial act. If you do not know which document or legal arrangement you need, contact the document recipient, document preparer, issuing agency, or a qualified attorney first.

Related Wells resources

• Documents Hub
• Online Notary
• Contact Wells