What Notaries should know about apostilles

More Info at NNA Written by Gail Delaney

Repost

Offering apostille services can be a good way for Notaries to earn additional income and diversify their services.

Below are 3 things customers often misunderstand about apostille services, along with what every Notary should know:

1. Notaries do not issue apostilles

2. Notaries do not provide apostille certificates to customers

3. An apostille cannot be issued unless the document is notarized 

   
   

1. Notaries do not issue apostilles

The most common misconception is that a Notary can issue customers an apostille for a document on the spot. That’s not true, Metayer says. An apostille confirms that the Notary’s commission is valid on notarized documents sent to foreign countries. The notarized document must be submitted to an appropriate state government agency to have an apostille attached. Notaries offering apostille services are paid a fee by customers to deliver the notarized document to the government agency that issues apostille.

2. Notaries do not provide apostille certificates to customers 

Customers may also ask if Notaries can provide an apostille certificate for the customer to attach themselves. Again, because Notaries do not have the authority to issue apostille certificates, they cannot provide these certificates to customers.

3. An apostille cannot be issued unless the document is first notarized

An apostille cannot be issued if there is no notarization on the document. If a document needs to be notarized, it can be done by the Notary offering apostille services, but this is not a requirement. A different Notary can perform the notarization before the apostille is requested.

Finally, remember any notarization will be reviewed carefully

Whoever notarizes a document that needs an apostille, it’s very important that the document is notarized correctly and all rules are followed, Metayer cautioned. The receiving country will review the document to confirm everything is correct and has the right to reject the document if the notarization was not done properly.

Original Writer: Gail Delaney is a freelance writer.