Understanding
notary services at
BankofAmerica
®
When it matters most, we’re here to help. As a BankofAmerica
®
client, you have access to notary
services at many of our financial centers.
What is needed for notarization?
Most requests for notarization involve the signing of documents. In
all cases, the signer and any other witnesses must be present with
the notary for the notarization. In addition, the notary will require:
• Jurat: The notary will ask you to swear or affirm the truth
of the content. You must sign the document in the presence
of the notary, even if you’ve signed it prior to coming to the
financial center.
• Acknowledgment: The notary will ask you if you signed the
document on your own free will for the purpose stated.
We suggest you don’t sign the document prior to
visiting a financial center, since some documents MUST
be signed in the presence of a notary and dated for the
date of notarization.
Steps to notarize a document
The following steps for notarization are defined by the state and
not by BankofAmerica.
The notary will:
q Require all signer(s)/witness(es) to be present in person.
q Examine the document for completeness and ensure
all pages are included.
q Obtain proper identification from all signer(s)/witness(es).
q Perform the verbal confirmation.
q Complete the notarial certificate.
q Record the notarial act in their journal (as required by the state).
Is there a fee for notary services?
BankofAmerica does not charge a fee for notary services.
Why would a notary be unable to complete
a notarization?
• All signer(s)/witness(es) are not present in person with
the notary.
• A document has missing pages or blank spaces that affect the
intent of the document.
• The signer cannot produce ID, or is not known personally by
the notary.
– California notaries are required to obtain ID in all cases.
• The notary believes changes to the document may be made
after it has been signed.
• There is no notarial certificate on the document and the
signer cannot tell which notarial act is required.
• The signer and the notary are not able to communicate with
each other.
• The notary believes the signer does not understand the
purpose or consequences of signing.
• For certain notarial requests that involve complex rules or
unfamiliar notarial types, or due to other work obligations, the
notary may recommend that you obtain further consultation
with other notary service providers or legal counsel.
To learn more, schedule an appointment
to talk to an associate.
00-66-0830NSB | 07/2019
A notary is a public officer appointed by the state and is authorized to carry out his/her duties by the state in which he/she is commissioned if all guidelines for performing the notarial act
are in place. If state or bank guidelines are not met, a notary has the right to decline.
BankofAmerica and the BankofAmerica logo are registered trademarks of BankofAmerica Corporation
BankofAmerica, N.A. Member FDIC. © 2019 BankofAmerica Corporation. PCH-06-19-0775 | AR66MWG5
