FAQ
What is a Notary Public?
A Notary Public is an official of integrity appointed to serve the public as an impartial witness (duty-bound not to act in situations where they have a personal interest) in performing a variety of official fraud-deterrent acts related to the signing of important documents. These official acts are called notarizations, or notarial acts.
The most frequent service a Notary Public performs is the simple one of taking someone’s acknowledgment. An acknowledgment is the solemn statement of a person that he or she signed a paper of his or her own free will. The notary verifies the person’s identity, presses his/her notary seal on the paper and signs it.
Notarization does not guarantee that the information on a document is accurate or legal. The signer is responsible for the content of the document. The Notary Public simply certifies the signer’s identity, usually by verifying a current identifying document containing a photo, physical description, and signature.
Why do documents need to be notarized.
To put it simply, notarization is a fraud deterrent. Having a notary serve as a third-party witness ensures that the signers of a document are who they say they are and that they signed the document of their own free will. To do this, a notary must verify the signer’s identity, sign it, and apply their seal to the document.
Can Notary Public refuse to notarize someone’s signature?
There are few reasons a notary public, must refuse notarizing a document:
- The notary cannot verify the identity of the signer.
- The notary has a beneficial or financial interest in the document.
- The notary is unable to communicate with the signer directly (the signer is not mentally competent or does not speak the same language of the notary).
- The notary has knowledge that the transaction is fraudulent.
- The signer did not personally appear before the notary at the time of the notarization.
What if I need a translator?
Each signer needs to be able to explain what he or she is signing in English directly to the notary, without a translator. The document may be written in a foreign language, however the signer’s name and the section for the notary must be in English, or an English notarial certificate must be attached.
What type of identification is acceptable?
One of the main functions of a notary public is to positively identify signers of legal, financial, and other types of documents. While New York does not specify which types of identification are necessary, EMJ Notary Services accepts the following types of primary, unexpired identifying documents from signers: State ID, State Driver License, Passport, Federal ID, and Consular ID’s. Secondary IDs such as credit or debit card, school ID, non-state ID, or licenses may be required if a primary ID is expired or is not listed in the primary types of identifying documents above.
What if the name on the document and the name on the ID provided do no match?
The photo ID can have more of the signer’s names than shown on the document, but not less. For example, if the document to be notarized includes the signer’s middle initial and the ID has the middle name spelled out, that is acceptable. However, it is not acceptable for the document to have the middle name spelled out but the ID only has the middle initial.
What payment methods do you accept?
In addition to cash, we accept most debit and credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card, and American Express. We also accept digital payments from PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
Where do you provide service?
EMJ proudly serves all of New York City. However, our primary coverage areas are listed below. The postal codes and neighborhoods listed below reflect the coverage area for appointments that can be booked using our online scheduling portal. For services outside of these areas, please don’t hesitate to reach out via phone, or email and we will make sure to get you scheduled accordingly.
Brooklyn: Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Dumbo, Bushwick, Bedford Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, Brooklyn Heights, Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, Park Slope, Brownsville, East New York, Canarsie, Flatbush, Mill Basin
Queens: Long Island City, Astoria, Hunters Point, Ditmars, Steinway, Sunnyside, Woodside, Maspeth, Jamaica
Manhattan: Harlem, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Midtown, Chelsea, Diamond District, Financial Distract, Garment District, Flatiron District, Lower East Side, Greenwich Village, East Village, West Village, Union Square
Zip Codes
10001, 10010, 10011, 10012, 10013, 10016, 10017, 10018, 10019, 10021, 10022, 10023, 10025, 10026, 10027, 10028, 10029, 10035, 10075, 11101, 11103, 11104, 11106, 11205, 11206, 11207, 11211, 11212, 11213, 11216, 11221, 11222, 11225, 11233, 11237, 11378, 11379, 11433
Do you notarize documents online?
Although a new law permits remote notarization in the State of New York, EMJ Notary Services does not currently offer this service. All our notarizations must take place in person. If you need a rush appointment due to an emergency, give us a call and we will do our best to accommodate you. If we are unable to meet your need, we are more than happy to direct you to a reputable notary service who can assist with your remote notarization needs.
Do you offer walk-in notary services?
We do not offer walk-in services. Appointments are required for all in person services at our Greenpoint, Brooklyn location. Don’t see an appointment time that works with your schedule, call or text us 929.788.9018, or email info@emjnotaryservices.com for more availability.
Do you provide witnesses?
Yes. We can provide witnesses for in-person services for an additional $10 per witness.
Do you correct errors and omissions?
Yes! At EMJ Notary services, we pride ourselves on providing expert notary and Apostille service on various document types. Unfortunately, sometimes a receiving authority will reject a notarized document if there are errors and/or omissions. If there are any errors and/or omissions on a document that we have notarized, we will gladly correct the errors and/or omissions at no additional charge. EMJ Notary Services is fully insured for these types of instances.
Cancellation Policy
Your appointments and well-being are very important to us. We understand that sometimes, unexpected delays can occur, making schedule adjustments necessary. You may cancel or reschedule your appointment up to 48 hours before your scheduled appointment time without penalty. Cancellations made within 24 hours will receive a 50% refund. Deposits are non-refundable within 24 hours of appointment time. Missed appointments or cancellations made less than 24 hours before it is scheduled to take place will not receive a refund.
If the booking was made on the same day, notify us at least 2 hours prior. Failure to provide it will result in a fee equal to 50% of the reserved service cost.
Late Arrivals
Each client’s appointment is important to us. We want to give your service the time and attention it deserves. We understand that sometimes life is unpredictable, so we allow for a 10-minute grace period for late arrival in case you are unexpectedly delayed. If unable to arrive on time, please call. After 10 minutes a $10 late fee will be imposed. If you are more than 15 minutes late for your service, we may not be able to accommodate you. In this case, the same cancellation fee will apply.