To reach me, use the contact button above (or text me) if you cannot find an answer to your question.
I am filling a need in the Waconia area. Someone needs to be a notary. Someone needs to be accessible outside of normal business hours. Someone needs to be local. My background is in the same area as a Notary Public. (My background is finance and business)
Just FYI - I am a one man show, there is no notary team of employees. Waconia has a limited number of Notary's; I am doing this more for the community than any other reason.
Banks - you probably need to be a customer. Most banks will ask "Do you have an account with us?" IF they notarize your document, most do it for free.
UPS Store - Offers this service as a convenience. It gets you in their door. It familiarizes you with their services. They don't make any money with offering a notary service. They will charge you $5 per notary signature.
Attorneys Office - They have notaries for their own business purposes. Unless you have other business with them, they likely won't have time or anybody available. Nothing against them - it's just the way life goes.
Independents - Independents are here to either make money or help the local community. Independents don't make money on the actual act of notarization. They make money by providing witnesses, driving to your location, being available after normal business hours. I am an independent, I am here to help the community, this is a side gig for me.
Minnesota Secretary of State Office - You can also search the office that commissions notaries (Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State (SOS)): https://notary.sos.state.mn.us/search/searchfornotary
A note about the secretary of state search - they list the company in the search because that is who "sponsored" them to be a notary. This is more a search to confirm a notary is commissioned rather than find one. If there is no company listed, then they are independent.
Call the place you are going to ensure the actual individual (Notary Public) is available. Individuals are notaries, not companies. You need the individual to be available at the UPS store as an example. Not everybody at the UPS Store (or bank or attorney's office, etc ...) is a notary.
For the actual notary signature, the State of Minnesota states I can charge you $5.
If I am driving to you or providing a witness, the cost will go up. The state only speaks to charging for the actual act of signing/stamping my name, they don't list any other fees that can be added on. I don't do this for a living so I charge $5 for each signature and if I do something above that, I try to cover my expenses. For instance, I charge $20 per witness, I give that $20 to the witness. If I have to drive to you, I will ask for enough to cover my gas and time.
Timing - I know that needing a notary sneaks up on you. I know people wait until the last minute. I have notarized documents at 6 AM and at midnight. I have notarized real estate documents hugging a water heater (to stay warm) in a barely heated shed and inside million dollars homes. It's not unusual for me to notarize a document on the hood of your car. People always wonder - how long does it take? If you have an ID, it is a fairly simple document, I can have it done in less than 10 minutes. If you need it done in less than ideal conditions, outside of "normal" hours, or other special condition - I expect you will tip me accordingly. As long as it is not illegal and you have the proper ID, I will notarize it. I don't discriminate and I keep your business confidential.
This one is easy - Yes. I must see you sign it. All notaries need to see you sign it, that is the basis for being a notary. (There are exceptions but they are VERY rare)
Yes - you need an ID and it needs be unexpired. The whole concept of notarizing is making sure you are really the person signing your name on the document. I am "guaranteeing" the person reading your name/signature that you really are that person. The State of Minnesota commissioned me (trusts me) that I will check and double check you are the correct person. The state also trusts that I will walk away from the signing if something doesn't feel right, look right, or smell right.
This is a FAQ because its important. I am happy to help your friends and family notarize documents in an assisted living facility or at the hospital.
Important things to know: Your loved one must be of sound mind. I am very familiar with situations in assisted living facilities. I know that being physically impaired is very different then mentally impaired. I don't care what the signature looks like, I do care that they have a valid ID and are "with us" in the earthly and mental sense. For the record, I have walked away from a facility without notarizing a document - it is rare but I have walked away. If your family member is in memory care, I am sorry to say, I am not your guy for this instance.
I am glad you asked! Yes - they do! https://www.sos.state.mn.us/notary-apostille/notary-help/notary-faq/ (mostly for new notary's but interesting for all)
If you are doing this to make a load of money and retire at 40, stop - you can't make a living doing this.
1. A notary commission is given by the Minnesota Secretary of State: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/notary-apostille/become-a-notary/
It will cost you approximately $120 for the commission and then another $50-$75 for your stamp(s) and book.
2. A good resource to find out more about being a Notary Public is at: https://www.nationalnotary.org/ (I only mention them because they have some good information, I do not receive a referral fee, I don't get any credit from them - it's just another resource for you to look at)
It's a bit of a play on words. Generally, one travels around and one stays in one place. A "mobile notary" is sometimes associated with closing home loans and home refinance actions. “Mobile Notary” is not a term recognized under Minnesota law. Rather, it is a term of art used in the title insurance and real estate closing industries. In these industries, “mobile notaries” are notaries public typically hired as independent contractors on a case-by-case basis by title insurance companies, real estate closing companies, real estate signing companies and similar businesses. They meet with mortgage borrowers (or the buyers or sellers of residential real estate) to obtain signatures on various documents needed to complete the closing of a real estate-related transaction.
Do you have real estate documents to get notarized or you are a notary? - READ THIS: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/media/2002/mobile_notaries_and_real_estate_transactions.pdf
Important: Generally, in Minnesota, to notarize real estate documents, you MUST have a Minnesota Closing Agent License. This includes a restructured mortgage.
Why you should care:
Imagine you are the person getting your real estate documents notarized - imagine if a problem comes up tomorrow, next week or next year and it turns out the notary was not a Minnesota licensed closing agent - Guess what? Your document may be considered "not legally notarized". That might risk whatever the action is on that document. Is it worth it?
Imagine you are the notary, working on documents that should require a closing license and you don't have that closing license. Guess who may land themself in court and be sued? Is it worth it?
The exact law regarding notarizing real estate is: "Closing agent" or "real estate closing agent" means any person whether or not acting as an agent for a title insurance agent, a licensed attorney, real estate broker, or real estate salesperson, who for another and with or without a commission, fee, or other valuable consideration or with or without the intention or expectation of receiving a commission, fee, or other valuable consideration, directly or indirectly provides closing services incident to the sale, trade, lease, or loan of residential real estate, including drawing or assisting in drawing papers incident to the sale, trade, lease, or loan, or advertises or claims to be engaged in these activities. (https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/82.641)
(Yes - I have done closings for real estate sales, purchases, refinances, mortgage restructures, deeds, and most every real estate document you could have. Yes - I am licensed)
For a full list of state restrictions and for notarizing real estate documents, click here: https://www.nationalnotary.org/support/signing-agents/state-restrictions (we are not only state with restrictions!)
You complete a POA when you want others to make legal decisions for you when you are not able.
A good definition of a Power of Attorneys is located here: https://www.lawdepot.com/contracts/power-of-attorney-form (I have no affiliation with them, they just have valid information posted)
Fun Facts:
A good definition can be found at: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/advance-care-planning-health-care-directives
In Minnesota - a health care directive can be found here: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/145C
In Minnesota - Living Will information can be found here:
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/2019/cite/145B.03
Bottom line -- Whether you are young, injured, or elderly -- just do it. It gives your loved ones something in writing to help them guide your health care when you can't do it for yourself.
Yes - its all about liability. I go extra lengths to ensure the ID you hand me is not expired and you are really the person on the ID. I am held liable that everything is above board and people are who their ID shows. This is the basic premise of being a Notary. We don't judge (or notarize) the contents of the document, but we do verify it really is you on the ID and in the case of sworn documents, you swear the document is true to your knowledge.
Example of an invalid ID: A husband and wife own a vacation home, out of state. The husband wants to sell it, the wife does not. The husband calls me to notarize the sale of the vacation home. He picks a day and time that his wife is at work. The two people I am sitting with at the kitchen table are the husband and his sister. His sister hands me the wife's driver license (the husband removed it from his wife's purse the night before and plans on replacing the next day) pretending to be the wife. If I am not paying attention or looking hard at the ID, I might think the sister is really the wife. Fast forward in life by 2 months, the wife finds out what happened. Guess who gets sued? - the notary! Back to the first sentence in this FAQ, it's all about liability. Before you ask - yes, I have been handed an ID that did not belong to the person that presented it. It's rare, but it happens.
One - me.
Yes, that is why I am appointment only. Don't worry about the time, just don't surprise me and show up. Unless it is complicated, we are likely going to notarize right in the driveway or garage.
Directly from the State of Minnesota:
What is the proper procedure in Minnesota for notarizing a signature on a document that's in a language other than English? Notaries do not notarize the document, they notarize the signature. As long as you feel the signer knows what he/she is signing willingly and freely and wishes to agree to the terms of the document then the notary is free to notarize their signature to the document. The document can be in any language as long as the signer understands the language and is pursuant to https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/358.65
The notary language at the bottom needs to be in English. (yes, I have done multiple foreign language notarizations)
My first Minnesota notary commission was issued in 1990's. I was also a notary in another state for 15 years too ... I have been doing this for many years.
I take Venmo (@waconianotary), Cashapp, Paypal, Zelle, and Cash. If you can spend it, I can take it. This is great info - can I tip you (helps pay for my equipment)? My preference is Venmo and Zelle (look below, you can Zelle to my phone number). If you have read this far - I may as well tell the craziest payment was 3 bags of assorted chocolate. She was at Fleet Farm when she called me and needed multiple documents notarized, I told her if she showed up with 3 bags of chocolate, I would notarize her documents for the candy - it was best notary job I have ever done!
Yes - I have certified I-9's. (I-9's don't technically get notarized). Make sure you have multiple forms of ID's for me to review, see the list of acceptable ID's on your I-9.
1. Personality
2. Knowledgeable
3. Open minded (I don't judge you or the documents) and I am very flexible
4. Did I mention personality?
5. I don't ask you to fill out a bunch of forms before I help you
6. As long as you have proper ID and the forms, I will work almost anywhere with you
7. From the moment of contact (texting) to notarizing a document can be less then 30 minutes (including you driving over to me) - Most notarizing I do is last minute and "on the fly".
I meet the coolest people.
Waconia Notary
1683 Sandbar Circle, Waconia MN 55387 (24 hours but by appointment only, Texting me is best)
612-306-2840 (Text me)
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