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Notary

Lansing Public Library Notary Policy

The purpose of notarization is to prevent fraud and forgery. A notary acts as an official and unbiased witness to the identity of persons who come before the notary for a specific purpose.

The Lansing Public Library is not an attorney licensed to practice law in Illinois, and may not give legal advice or create any documents. Notarizing documents does not constitute a legal review of the document’s contents.

Notary Public Guidelines:

  • Notaries are regulated by the Illinois Notary Laws and will not notarize documents that do not follow such laws and regulations. Notaries are not authorized to prepare or complete documents for others, nor give legal advice on any matter relating to a document.
  • The Lansing Public Library notary fee is free for the first signature and $1.00 per signature after that.
  • Please do not sign the document until in front of the notary. All people signing the document must be present. All signers must also record their signatures in the notary transaction log.
  • Valid forms of identification include an unexpired driver’s license, an unexpired state identification card, a valid passport, or a US military ID.
  • Documents in any language other than English will not be notarized at this facility. A translator may not be used.
  • Blank forms cannot be notarized. If a space does not require an answer, please write “N/A” or cross out the space.
  • Public vital documents such as birth certificates, marriage, or death certificates cannot be copied and notarized.
  • If your document requires one or more witnesses, please bring with you a sufficient number of people willing to serve as your witnesses. The Library will not provide witnesses, and you may not solicit witnesses from the Library’s building and grounds. In order to serve as a witness, the witness must personally know the individual whose document is being notarized, and must have a valid photo identification.
  • Notary service is not available 30 minutes before closing time.
  • Notary service is not available between 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm during the school year, except when school is on break or has early release hours.
  • Patrons requiring multiple notarization on documents that are 10 pages or longer will need to call the Library to schedule an appointment.
  • In accordance with Illinois Notarial Law, notaries will not provide service if the patron’s document or circumstances of the request raise any issue of authenticity, ambiguity, doubt, or uncertainty for the Library. In this event, the notary may, at his/her sole discretion, decline to provide the Notary Service.
  • In accordance with Illinois Notarial Law, the notary will ask the patron to sign the Notary Public Record Book. Service for patrons who decline to sign the book will be declined.

What We Cannot Notarize:

  • Documents that are already signed.
  • Documents that are not in English.
  • Documents with blank spaces other than the space for a signature.
  • Immigration documents, which require legal knowledge
  • USCIS Form I-9: Employment eligibility.
  • Real estate documents, which require legal knowledge.
  • Deeds, mortgages, wills, trusts, codicils, or depositions, which require legal knowledge.
  • We cannot certify a copy of marriage, birth, or death certificates.
  • Documents that have been altered or have whiteout marks.

Information Recorded For The Notary Log:

  • The date
  • Each signer’s name
  • Each signer’s signature
  • Type of ID provided and expiration date
  • Description of document being notarized
  • Whether notarization was a jurat or not (“verification upon oath or affirmation” — is for a signer to swear to or affirm the truthfulness of the contents of a document to a Notary or notarial officer).
  • Notary’s initials

4/2023