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The Elyria Public Library offers free Notary services. Call ahead for availability. (Beginning July 1, 2023) |
The Elyria Public Library offers free notary service at all locations for the benefit of the community. Notary service must be scheduled and is only available during regular hours of operation. The Library cannot guarantee that a Notary will be on staff at all times. It is advised that patrons call ahead to ensure that a Notary will be available.
Other restrictions may apply regarding the notarization of specific types of documents. Notaries are subject to the Ohio Revised Code, Section 147.
GUIDELINES
• The document to be notarized should be completely filled out, leaving no blanks other than where the patron will sign the document, before appearing before the Library Notary. Library Notaries may not notarize any document with blank spaces.
• Remember that most documents to be notarized must be signed in front of the Notary (do not sign them beforehand). All people signing the document(s) must be present.
• Certain public documents cannot be copied and notarized. Some examples of these are:
- Birth certificates
- Death certificates
- Marriage certificates
• The Notary must have satisfactory evidence that the person executing the document(s) is the person described in the instrument. The person who will sign the document(s) must provide the Notary with at least one (1) valid form of identification. The Notary may decline to notarize a document if the signer cannot provide valid identification.
• Acceptable forms of identification:
- Valid driver’s license from any state of the United States
- Valid non-driver’s photo identification card from any state of the United States
- United States Military identification card
- Current passport from any country, written in a language that the Notary can read
• Notaries cannot provide legal advice or assist in document preparation. The Library will not provide witness.
• Notaries are required to follow Ohio Revised Code Chapter 147. Notaries will not provide service if a patron, document, or circumstance of the request for Notary service raise any issue of authenticity, ambiguity, doubt, or uncertainty.
• The Notary may, at their discretion, decline to provide Notary service.