Notary Service Policy

We are pleased to provide basic notary services to the patrons of Germantown Public Library and the surrounding community. The notary’s role is limited to authenticating the signature presented.  Patrons should be aware that notarizing a document does not constitute a legal review of the document’s contents. A Notary Public is not a licensed attorney.  Notaries cannot provide legal advice or counseling regarding documents.  In accordance with Ohio Revised Code Chapter 147, the Library’s notaries will not provide service if the customer, document, or circumstances of the request for notary service raise any issue of authenticity, ambiguity, doubt, or uncertainty for the Library. In this event, the notary may, at his or her sole discretion, decline to provide notary service.

The Library’s free notary service is intended for simple documents (auto titles, etc.) that do not require specialized expertise. Documents we will not notarize:

• Real estate transactions including mortgage and housing refinance documents, including Quit Claim Deeds

  • Wills, Living Wills and Trusts, Codicils

  • Notary protests

  • Employment eligibility verification, Homeland Security I-9 Forms

  • Auto titles without buyer address and name (state law requires this section be completed, regardless of circumstance). Seller must be present.

  • No electronic notarizations

In Ohio certain public documents cannot be copied and notarized. Some examples of these are: birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates and similar documents.

Hours

Notary services are provided based on Notary availability and may not be available during all Library Hours. It is recommended that you call ahead of time to ensure a Notary staff member is available and also to confirm that we are able to notarize the type of document(s) that you plan to bring with you. You may reach out to 937-855-4001.

Appearance and Identification

Ohio law requires that the person(s) signing the document(s) to be notarized appear in person and present proper identification. Valid forms of identification are: Passport, driver’s license or other government issued photo identification card.

If you are under 18 and do not have a driver’s license/state ID, please bring: a certified copy of your birth certificate and a current school ID (with photo)

Note: No expired identification will be accepted. International Identification Cards and / or International Driver’s Licenses cannot be accepted.

Witness 

You must be accompanied by any witnesses that are needed to complete the document.  Witnesses cannot be provided by the Library, nor can they be solicited from Library patrons.  The witness must personally know the person whose document is being notarized and must be in possession of a valid photo identification.

Preparation of the document to be Notarized

The name on the notarized document must match the name on the ID exactly.

Complete all information above the signature line completely leaving no blanks. Blank spaces not used in a document should have a line drawn through them so that no one can add to the terms of the document after it was signed.

Documents to be notarized must contain a Notary Public jurat or acknowledgment certificate. If the document(s) does not include this, the Notary will have to attach a certificate to the document before it can be notarized.

All document signers must be present at the time of signing and must sign in the presence of the notary.

Some documents require that the signer take an oath. The notary will administer the oath.

Documents not written in English can have signatures notarized if all other requirements are met and if the signer can communicate clearly in English, and without a translator, that they know what they are signing and that they are signing of their own free will.  The signer will have to determine and tell the notary if an oath is required.  If foreign documents do not have the notary certificate in English, the notary will have to attach another certificate.

Communication

Ohio law requires that the notary and the customer seeking notarization be able to communicate directly with each other and with witnesses.  The Library is not permitted to make use of a translator to communicate with a notary service customer. At this time our Notary staff speak English only.