Thank you for considering us for your notary needs. We’re commissioned to perform all Notarial Acts that are enshrined to Notaries Public by the laws and regulations of the State of Ohio. Our Notary Public has lengthy experience in the field and across many document types. Not an Ohio resident? No problem! We can perform all Acts as long as you are in Ohio at the time. Learn more about our services below!
Notary Signing Agent Services – Real Estate, Home Buying, Loan Signing, Titling, Escrow
As a National Notary Association (NNA®)-certified Notary Signing Agent (NSA™), we’re proud to offer mobile, on-call notarial services for real estate transactions, like buying a new home, refinancing an existing mortgage, or any other such transaction—whether the package is 10 pages or 200: been there, done that, exceptionally pleased signers, and wonderful comments from signing services/title companies!
We can come to you or go to your signer to notarize applicable documents related to your signer’s new home loan or related real estate signing transaction. Our Notary Public is a proud member of the National Notary Association and is trained on the most recent Ohio laws (especially ORC § 147.) and industry work group best practices. He is fully vetted by NNA and their third-party background check and verification company: he successfully passes every criminal background check to-date and is required to repeat this process and continuing education frequently.
Notary is background checked. For additional peace of mind, to you–as a company hiring us for a transaction or as a consumer expecting a visit from the notary–company policy is to repeat rigorous background checks and criminal identity history searches at least twice annually. One check is via NNA’s package for NSA™ renewal, and the other is done by an exceptional, reputable third-party at the direct request of CEK Enterprises, Inc. These background checks meet NNA- and industry standards in terms of items sought, and our other vendor digs even deeper. The notary is regularly checked against lists like U.S. terrorist watch lists, multiple INTERPOL lists, court records from city to federal, and many more.
Our Notary also holds a digital certificate for e-signing forms, such as PDFs–this is among the highest level of security and includes a thorough vetting process to prove identity of the user.
For NSA or related notary services, please contact us using the web form, noting the date(s), time(s) and transaction type. We’ll get back to you promptly with our availability.
Notary Public: Additional Credentials
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For emergent notarizations of any kind–including Power of Attorney, end-of-life paperwork (including at hospitals, hospice and/or home), home loan (this MUST be via your loan/title company or their contractor), or even simple “traditional” documents–please contact us directly at four-four-zero-488-five-nine-seven-eight (spelled to avoid spam/solicitations). We encourage sending a text message. If you do not hear back within 30-90 minutes, please call and/or text our Notary’s personal phone (above). If your text/SMS isn’t answered within -3- minutes, please call.
Regardless of the type of notarization or urgency, we are happy to come to you (“mobile notary service”), depending on availability. Please schedule in advance, when able. We can also meet in a public venue near you, between us, or near us.
Please note: While the Secretary of State of Ohio caps billing for traditional Acts at $5.00 each, we will charge for travel at a rate no less than the IRS-recommended mileage rate of $0.655/mi (current as of publication). Some transactions are also or alternatively subject to convenience fees as allowed by law. Any surcharges will be made clear to you in advance. Advanced Acts, like loan documents and vehicle titles, will be charged a premium, from $85.00 to $200.00+, as allowed by State law and per industry standards. The bank/title agency with which you work determines these fees and pays us, so consumers have no part in the fees. Contact your agency if you are concerned about the fees they impost.
A Matter of Trust: Insurance, *Bonding, Commissioning & More
Insurance: Rest assured that we’re properly protected against many common accidents that may occur during notarizations.* These accidents are known as, and limited to, “errors and omissions.” Such E&O policies are also known as “professional liability insurance.” We carry sufficient coverage for nearly all notarial acts. Further, we have a policy specifically dedicated to notarizations for your assurance. Contracting Companies: We also carry secondary coverage applicable to NSA work, available only to the contracting company involved in such works—this policy is not available for consumer-direct services.
*Coverage is beyond industry standard, but this does not mean that every and all issues or errors are covered. ACORD statement available to companies (only) upon request.
*Bond: We are not bonded because the laws and regulations of the State of Ohio do not require it, and we have sufficient insurance. In general, bonds exist to protect the public from harm/losses. However, insurance essentially protects all parties involved, even if one party IS “the public” (like an officer or county trustee, for instance). The primary difference is who submits the claim and where payouts go. Carrying sufficient liability coverage essentially makes bonding irrelevant. While some Notaries Public in the State of Ohio may carry a bond, it would be incredibly risky and irresponsible not to carry insurance–or to lack enough insurance to cover the value of a transaction. Unfortunately, not all notaries choose to carry sufficient coverage, or any–and they may put YOU at risk! *Note: This is for illustrative purposes only and is not an agreement, offer and/or contract between our company/our Notary and any person(s) purchasing and/or receiving such services.
In almost all cases, your title, loan, or escrow company or their contractor will verify our insurance coverage and limits prior to doing business with us. They also should review the notary’s background check (which must be no older than 12 months). However, due to privacy and generally-accepted good business practices, we do not disclose our limits to consumers. We will only confirm that we hold a policy and only upon request.
License: In the truest sense, Notaries Public are not licensed and cannot become licensed in any US State. Instead, Notaries are commissioned by any of the several States, typically by the Secretary of State. Holding an active commission is required by law in order to work as a Notary Public, even if said Notary is an attorney. In Ohio in order to earn such a commission, the Notary must demonstrate satisfactory knowledge of the relevant law via a 2+ hour exam, pass a State + FBI dual background check (and, in our case, be appointed by the Probate Court as an upright citizen), complete continuing education, re-test every 5 years, and pass a State (BCI) + FBI background check at each renewal (every 5th year). Notaries Public, being State Officials, are scrutinized on an ongoing basis, so a commission may be revoked at any time. In Ohio, commission status may be verified online at no cost.
Professional Membership & Credentials: Beyond the above, our Notary has gone further to demonstrate knowledge and professionalism. He also commits to continuing education for changes and best practices. He is a member of the National Notary Association (NNA®). Further, he has training in Notary Signing Agent services–which require additional and more frequent Federal background checks (every 12 months–but CEK Enterprises, Inc. mandates a background check twice per year). He has been fully-certified as a Notary Signing Agent (“NSA™”) and has held and worked under his active commission since 2018.
Limitations and Right to Refuse Service
In Ohio, Notaries Public are officials of the State. In general, no Notary may refuse an Act under normal circumstances. If they do refuse service, you generally should report it to your county’s Bar Association and perhaps to the Ohio Secretary of State. It’s best to report it to the Bar in the county where it was notarized. But, you can also report it to the Bar of our home county (click here to report to the Lake County Bar Association, Lake County, Painesville, OH).
However, certain exceptions allow for refusal. These situations include ones for which the Notary reasonably expects fraud, misrepresentation, identity theft, is unable to fully or properly verify identity, presentation of pre-signed documents if it is required to be performed in the presence of a Notary (certain Acts only), insufficient documentation of identity, reasonable suspicion of duress/coercion to sign, and more. Also, a Notary is never required to travel or to meet you. This is a courtesy we offer.
Did You Know?
Notaries Public in Ohio and every State are disallowed by law to advise you as to which type of certificate/form/Act you need, regardless of your circumstances. We can explain to you the general descriptions of such certificates/forms/Acts. We carry ”loose” certificates for that—but we cannot fully explain the best option or the specific/potential outcomes/liabilities/benefits in your situation. The one exception to this rule is that attorneys who hold a commission are allowed to do it. So, contact your lawyer or notary-lawyer or other legal assistance when in doubt. A good rule of thumb is that a non-attorney Notary CAN answer “What…?” questions but never “Why…?” questions! 🙂
Prepare For Success
To avoid delays, or worse yet, refusals: We recommend that you: 1) contact us in advance, and mention the type of document(s) to be notarized; 2) do NOT sign or date it in advance (unless, perhaps, if advised by an attorney)–wait until in the presence of the Notary; 2) have the document(s) otherwise prepared and selected for notarization; and, 3) have and make available original & complete and reasonably acceptable form(s) of ID that are also verifiable and unexpired.
Acceptable Identification Documents for Notarizations
May include -1- or more valid, original, and unexpired. We prefer that it also be signed. Surprisingly, a Driver’s License or State ID (BMV/DMV-issued non-driver card) is usually the best form of ID you can have. That’s because besides being government-issued, it also contains critical identifiers that help properly identify you. Sometimes, another party will require multiple or alternative forms of ID (see below); and sometimes, we’ll ask for a secondary ID if we have doubts.
Other great IDs for notarization include: Some international drivers licenses, U.S.- or international passport, US Military ID, US DoD ID (“CAC”), CBP Trusted Traveler Program ID (Global Entry, SENTRI, NEXUS), USCIS-provided, stamped Visa (as part of a foreign passport, for instance), USCIS Form I-551 (a/ka/a “green card” or “MRIV”). Two types of international driver permits, such as the one issued by AAA, are never acceptable.
All IDs are subject to physical scrutiny to evaluate genuineness. That means you must always give your ID(s) to us to hold and to inspect. We are also allowed to write down information on your ID and save it, for instance, in a private journal. Also, some companies require us to scan or copy your ID for their records. Company policy is to delete or destroy any copies within 72 hours of delivery confirmation that your document was delivered (like with your home loan application package).
YOUR PRIVACY & OUR JOURNAL: Company policy is that the notary journal is sealed from any inspection. That means only the notary can inspect it. The only time we’ll let somebody review the journal is when they have a court order or other lawful, clear reason.
ID: Photograph & Physical Description Preferred
Identification including a relatively-recent photograph is strongly preferred, though we understand circumstances exist where this is impossible, such as a lost license or passport. In this case, please consider: an original- or *certified* copy- of a domestically-issued Certificate of Live Birth combined with 1+ other document(s) (utility bill, bank statement, pay stub, IRS Form 1040, etc.), university or school ID, work ID, and/or others.
We may refuse to notarize even if one or more of these documents is/are presented (especially if we suspect any impropriety, as above). Please call, text, email, or contact us in advance if you know your photo government ID is missing. All IDs are subject to physical scrutiny to evaluate genuineness.
High Risk Transactions: Typically B2B Only
We may also refuse to Notarize/perform an Act on any kind of traditionally- or perceived very high-risk document because it exposes us to undue liability and risks. Typically, this is based on transaction value, high rates of fraud with such a transaction, and similar reasons. We may recommend seeking another Notary specialized in such Acts or, for your protection, a Notary with substantially higher insurance limits. Another good idea is to take it to the Clerk of Courts in your county’s Court of Common Pleas, in case we cannot help you.
Medallion Requests: Not Notarizations
Finally, please note that certain financial transactions—typically within/between brokerage firms, and sometimes real estate transfers—require a Medallion Signature Guarantee. This is NOT the same as a Notary’s seal. A Medallion Guarantee necessarily includes a specific, very high amount of insurance per document payable for many reasons (beyond traditional notarial insurance–ours covers many issues). The financial firm(s) requiring the Guarantee often specify the precise amount of insurance required, often starting at $250,000.00 per document (not per transaction). Because being a Guarantor requires affiliation with a financial institution, by law, we cannot offer this service. Instead, you’re likely to find this at a well-known bank (regional or national) or a brokerage firm’s local branch. Please call ahead to confirm which branch(es) offer Medallion Guarantees and whether you need an appointment and/or to be a customer—unlike a Notary Public, a Guarantor is not a Public Official, so they can decline/refuse any customer/transaction for any reason (including not being a customer).
Other Terms & Conditions
By using our services, you agree to The Uniform Policy and…
- To treat the company and the notary with respect
- To follow applicable laws, including ORC § 147., et al.
- To not coerce the Notary into committing an unlawful Act
- To not deceive or attempt to deceive the Notary for any reason, anywhere, at any time
Please see our Policies page for more complete policy information and clarification. You’ll also find acceptable forms of payment and payment terms. Note: Payment, including applicable travel surcharge, is generally due on receipt (at time of notarization); exceptions include pre-arranged terms and if your lender/title company will be collecting payment on our behalf. Please note: We only accept checks from businesses, per our policy, unless otherwise pre-agreed; in signing agent situations, your closing company will handle payment in nearly every case.