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A California notary public is an official appointed by the state to witness important oaths and documents.
Purpose
Notaries exist to verify that certain legal documents have been signed and are sworn to be true. Some documents that require notarization include affidavits, real estate documents and powers of attorney.
Qualifications
To become a notary in California you must be 18 years or older, legally reside in California, pass a background check, and complete a course and written examination approved by the California secretary of state. If you have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, or if you failed to disclose any arrests on your application, you may not serve as a notary.
Procedure
When you bring a document to a notary public, the notary will ask to see identification such as a driver's license or passport to verify your identity. After asking you to attest to the truth of your document, the notary will sign and stamp it with an official notary seal.
Identification
Find a notary public in your California town by looking in a phone book or using the Notary Rotary online search.
Courses
If you are interested in becoming a notary public in California, you can find an approved education course on the California Business Portal (see Resources). Courses are sorted by county.
Source:
Resource:
California Notary Public
California Business Portal: Notary Education
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