Policy 3.32 Notary Public Policy

The Niles-Maine District Library offers free limited notary services for basic acknowledgement and affirmation signatures to Library patrons. Notary services may not be available at all times the Library is open to the public and notary service is not guaranteed. Patrons seeking notary service should call the Library prior to their visit to ensure a notary is available. Notary services are a courtesy provided by the Library and not the notary's primary duty; therefore, the notary may ask the patron(s) to wait while the notary attends to a patron at the desk, takes a telephone call or tends to other Library matters. Notary service is provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The purpose of notarization is to prevent fraud and forgery. A notary acts as an official and unbiased witness to the identity of persons who comes before the notary for a specific purpose. Notaries will not provide legal advice or counseling regarding your documents. Notary service is NOT available for deeds, mortgages, documents of conveyance of real estate, mortgages, other real estate loans, documents or transactions or property transfers, including but not limited to refinancing or other types of real estate loans, purchases, sales, beneficial interests in land trusts and deeds.

Please review the following information in order to use our notary service:

• Please DO NOT sign your documents before you come to the library. We are required to see you sign your documents. The Notary will only attest to documents signed in his/her presence.
• Each person signing the document must be present for us to notarize each individual signature. The Library notary public shall never notarize any signature without the maker of the signature first appearing personally before the notary.
• The person who will sign the document must be sure that the document is completely filled out, leaving no blanks other than where the patron will sign the document, before appearing before the notary. Library notaries may not notarize any document with blank spaces.
• This policy requires that the notary and the patron seeking notarization be able to communicate directly with each other. The Library notary is not permitted to make use of a translator to communicate with a notary service customer.
• A current ID with your signature is required so that we can verify your identity. PLEASE NOTE: the ID must be issued by a state or federal government agency and must bear the photographic image of the individual's face and signature. Examples of acceptable IDs are those that are issued by a state or federal government agency that contain both a photographic image and signature are a valid (unexpired) state driver's license or ID card, a United State military ID, or valid (unexpired) passport.
• Examples of IDs we cannot accept are Social Security cards, a United States passport card, or student IDs that do not bear a photographic image and/or signature. Notaries at the Niles-Maine District Library reserve the right to refuse to sign any document that they deem questionable and/or may refuse to perform notary services when the identity of the person requesting notarization has not been positively established using acceptable IDs
• If your document requires witnesses as well as your own signature and notarization, please bring with you a sufficient number of people willing to serve as your witness. In situations where a witness is required the Library will not provide witnesses and witnesses may not be solicited from patrons using the Library. In order to serve as a witness, the witness must personally know the individual whose document is being notarized and must be in possession of valid photo identification.
• Notaries at the Niles-Maine District Library cannot sign government I-9 forms, nor can we provide an Apostille. An Apostille is a form that certifies the authenticity of a document that is issued in one country to be used and considered valid in another.
• Illinois law does not authorize a notary public to certify copies of any document. Persons requesting certified copies of documents will be referred to the official who has custody of the original document or to the office where the document has been officially filed.
• A notary commission is personal to the notary public. Library staff who serve as a notary public shall follow the notary laws of the State of Illinois and must adhere to the highest standards of competence and responsibility in providing notary public services. Notaries will not provide service if the patron, document or circumstances of the request for notary service raise any issue of authenticity, ambiguity, doubt, or uncertainty for the notary. In this event, the Library notary may at his/her sole discretion, decline to provide notary service.
• The Library notary shall correctly maintain a notary journal of all notarial acts they perform.
• The Niles-Maine District Library reserves the right to refuse notary service at any time.
• In consideration of using the free notary services of the Library, the patron using the Library notary services must agree to hold the Library notary and the Niles-Maine District Library harmless from and against any and all claims and damages arising out of and resulting from any and all errors and omissions in the terms and conditions incorporated in the documents executed by the patron and from and against any and all claims and damages arising out of or resulting from any dissemination, distribution and copying of communication in any form between the patron and any other person or entity by any unauthorized person or persons.