A notary public is a person approved by the state to check identity and watch people sign important papers. Notarization helps prevent fraud.
The notary must be neutral. A person who benefits from your document usually should not notarize it. In many states, a beneficiary or a party to the document may not be allowed to notarize. Even if a notary disagrees with what the document says, the notary can still notarize the document.
Each state has it's own requirements, so ask a local notary for information specific to your situation. Here are some example tasks that are often useful to do before your appointment:
Do not sign early unless your form instructions clearly say you can.
Most notarized forms must be signed in front of the notary.
Missouri law allows remote online notarization.
A remote online notary must be physically in Missouri when doing the notarial act.
Missouri law includes both notaries public and commissioners of deeds in the same chapter.
A commissioner of deeds is a separate role and not the same as a normal Missouri notary commission.
Missouri provides an official notary search for currently commissioned notaries.
This is the American Society of Notaries page for how to become a notary in Missouri.
Use these links if you need the legal language behind Missouri notary and commissioner rules.
Continue to filing guidance after your forms are notarized.
How to file a court formNotary guide overview