Notary Services

All services are by appointment only. Please call (626) 798-0833 ext.118 to make your appointment.

Office Hours

Monday – Friday: 10:00 am – 4:30 pm

Same-day appointments are not available. Office Hours may vary without notice.

Important Notices:

• This office does not perform signing agent services.
• California notaries do not perform Copy Certifications.
• Notaries cannot advise clients how to complete their documents. Documents must be understood and completed by the client when the client arrives.
• Clients must know the type of notary certificate they need.
• There is a 5 signature limit per appointment
• Appointments are limited to 30 minutes; if your appointment extends beyond this time, you will need to schedule an additional appointment

Appointment Guidelines

To prepare for your appointment, the document(s) you would like notarized must be completed and not signed or initialed. You will sign or initial in the presence of the Notary.

Same-day appointments are not available. Office Hours may vary without notice.

If you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, your appointment will be cancelled, and you will have to reschedule.

All notary services are performed at the Main Library on 600 E. Mariposa St. The notary will not travel to any other locations to perform notarial acts.

Bring the following with you to your appointment:

• Completed, unsigned document for notarization
• A valid identification. The following is a list of acceptable identification (California Code 1185[b]):
  • A California driver’s license or nondriver’s ID
  • A U.S. passport (or passport card)
  • An inmate identification card issued by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation if the inmate is in prison or any form of inmate identification issued by a sheriff’s department if the inmate is in custody in a local detention facility
  • A driver’s license or official nondriver’s ID issued by a U.S. state*
  • A Canadian or Mexican driver’s license issued by an appropriate public agency*
  • A U.S. military ID*
  • A valid foreign passport from the applicant’s country of citizenship*
  • An employee ID issued by an agency or office of the state of California or a California city, county, or city and county*
  • An identification card issued by a federally-recognized tribal government*
  • A valid consular identification document issued by a consulate from the applicant’s country of citizenship that meets specific requirements:
    • In order to be accepted, the consular ID must be current or issued in the past 5 years; have a serial or identification number; and contain the signature, photograph and description of the bearer. “Matricula Consular” IDs issued by Mexican consulates do not meet these requirements and cannot be accepted as satisfactory evidence of a signer’s identity in California.

All of the identification documents listed above must be current or issued within the past 5 years in order to be accepted. IDs listed above marked with an asterisk (*) must also contain an identifying number and photograph, signature and physical description of the bearer.

If you do not have one of the identification documents listed above, you must:

• • Bring two credible witnesses (each with one of the above identification documents) who are willing to conduct an oath or affirmation confirming your identity per California Code 1185[b].

Additional Information

Incomplete Documents

As noted in the 2023 California Notary Public Handbook: A notary public may not notarize a document that is incomplete. If presented with a document for notarization, which the notary public knows from his or her experience to be incomplete or is without doubt on its face incomplete, the notary public must refuse to notarize the document (California Government Code section 8205).

Certified Copies

Also noted in the 2023 California Notary Public Handbook: A notary public may only certify copies of powers of attorney under Probate Code section
4307 and his or her notary public journal. (Government Code sections 8205(a)(4), 8205(b)(1), and 8206(e))

Certified copies of birth, fetal death, death, and marriage records may be made only by the State Registrar, by duly appointed and acting local registrars during their term of office, and by county recorders. (Health & Safety Code section 103545)

Unauthorized practice of Law

California Notaries are prohibited from the practice of law without a license from the State Bar. The notary public cannot advise you how to complete your document, nor decide which notarial certificate should be used for your document. The 2023 California Notary Public Handbook states: California notaries public are prohibited from performing any duties that may be construed as the practice of law. Among the acts which constitute the practice of law are the preparation, drafting, or selection or determination of the kind of any legal document, or giving advice in relation to any legal documents or matters. If asked to perform such tasks, a California notary public should decline and refer the requester to an attorney.