Washington Notary Acknowledgement

For some legal forms, you as a creator and signatory have to ask for a notary verification to make the documents valid. If you are a resident of Washington who completes certain deals or makes specific legal papers, you should consider getting the mandatory Washington Notary Acknowledgment form, proving that your forms are correct and your identity is verified.

Not every document you make requires a notary verification. This mostly refers to the legal forms you use when selling or buying real estate or any other significant and expensive property, making wills, appointing powers of attorney for various issues, and so on. Each state has different regulations regarding what documents should be notarized.

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There are certain reasons why notarization takes place in some cases. Firstly, someone has to make sure that this is you who made and signed the notary form. But this “someone” cannot be a random person, and a simple witness who you know and ask to sign the form sometimes is not enough. This is why notary public exists.

When you apply to the notary public, the specialist checks your ID and allows you to sign the paper. Also, they check whether you are in sound mind or not and if you sign the document at will.

Specific laws regulate the notary acknowledgment and such work in Washington state and other states. We have prepared a small guide that includes information about the local laws and a quick manual on notarizing your document and getting the Washington Notary Acknowledgment form in the state.

Washington Notary Laws and Resources

Every state dedicates a part of its legislation to explain the basics of notary acknowledgment and notary public work. In Washington, there are two sources for those who need to get the applicable information: the Revised Code of Washington (or RCW) and the Washington State Notary Public Guide (or Notary Handbook). New notaries can also check the Washington State Department of Licensing official site for more details and guidelines.

Title 42 of the Code is called “Public Officers and Agencies” and offers most of the laws applicable to the documents’ notarization in Washington (see Chapter 42.45). RCW section 42.45.140 demonstrates statutory forms that notaries shall use while working to notarize clients’ papers.

Remote notarization in Washington is possible and lawful, and the topic is covered in RCW section 42.45.280 and the Notary Handbook mentioned above.

Even though online notarization seems easier and more convenient, we recommend spending a bit more time and visiting a notary public office located near you. The procedure is rather quick and simple: see it step by step below.

How to Notarize a Document in Washington

There are only a couple of steps you shall accomplish to finish the notarization process in Washington state.

  • Pick a Proven Notary Public

Before you attend a notary public and complete the procedure in Washington state, you have to choose a proper specialist. This will guarantee that your notarization is valid and you will not spend money in vain.

While there are people who use the notary’s services all the time and have their own specialists at hand, many of us still have no idea how to find a notary and who to trust. However, in the US, it is quite simple to find a notary who will help close to you.

So, you have three options to try when looking for a notary in Washington:

  • Applying to local banks or credit unions (we recommend Chase bank because it has many locations to visit)
  • Calling the private office
  • Going to the UPS store.

All these options should work and provide you with fast, good-quality service. Even so, before going to the notary, try verifying them online. You can use a specific database on the Internet to check whether the selected notary is licensed and eligible. The database is available on the Washington State Department of Licensing official webpage.

  • Visit the Notary Public with All the Forms

After checking the eligibility of the chosen notary, your next step would be to attend their office with all the documents you want to notarize. While in the majority of American states, you cannot sign the forms without a notary actually seeing it, in Washington, it is considered lawful. So, you can complete your papers fully and put your signature in advance.

Pass all the papers to the notary and provide them with an ID document so they can identify you. Among the allowed IDs are those that have your photo and have not expired yet. Answer all notary’s questions regarding signing the forms voluntarily and for what reasons and wait for the acknowledgment.

  • Receive the Notary Acknowledgment

Once you have paid the required fees, given all the documents to the notary, and answered all the questions, the only thing you have to do is to wait. The process is quick, usually taking several minutes. The specialist will check your ID and the forms and then issue the confirmation by signing and sealing your forms or giving a separate acknowledgment certificate.

Published: Jun 15, 2022