What is a Notary Public? A notary public is a public officer of the state authorized by law to certify documents, take acknowledgements, and administer oaths; in this capacity, a notary public acts as ...

Notaries are state-appointed officials who certify the proper execution of documents. Documents that require notarization can include wills, powers of attorney, transfers of sale and more.

Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Ebony Howard is a certified public accountant and a QuickBooks ProAdvisor tax expert.

Public notaries are persons accredited by the state to witness civil matters for legal purposes. In the past, public notaries were state offices representing the state in witnessing legal ...