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.
Vermont allows remote notarization, but the notary must have a special commission endorsement.
Without that endorsement, a standard commission does not allow remote or electronic notarization.
Vermont's definitions include “notarial officer,” but Vermont generally uses “notary public” as the main term.
Vermont's Office of Professional Regulation provides a license lookup and public roster options to help locate notaries.
This is the American Society of Notaries page for how to become a notary in Vermont.
Use these links if you need statutory details about authority, definitions, and remote acts.
Continue to filing guidance after your forms are notarized.
How to file a court formNotary guide overview