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.