Personal Appearance is required of the person whom a notary is performing an official act for.   Services can be refused if the person is not in the notary’s presence.

A notary public is required to identify the customer. A notary public can identify a customer through personal knowledge or through satisfactory evidence presented to the notary that the individual is the individual whom they claim to be.

A notary public is required to determine the competency of the customer. If a person appears to be incoherent, under duress, or doesn’t understand what is happening, services can be refused.

A notary public is required to witness or verify the customer’s signature and review each document to ensure that the customer has signed as required.