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This resource has been created to answer the top questions regarding notary public and apostille services and terms

VIP Notary Services

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Mobile Notary Public

VIP Notary Services specializes in public notary services ranging from escrow and loan document signing and all other document notarization including, but not limited to: acknowledgements, jurats / affidavits, oaths / affirmations, copy certification, signature witnessing, and all real estate related forms.

Apostille

Apostille Services LA is a professional and reliable apostille services in Los Angeles, California. We travel to you and handle the entire process. We offer same day, expedited services for acquiring an apostille stamp for your official documents.

Get In Touch

Please contact us to discuss your document notarization needs. VIP Notary Services in Santa Monica is always looking for opportunities to provide mobile notary public or Apostille services for any and all documents that need to be verified and/or authenticated.

Most Frequently Asked Questions

Notarization Knowledgebase

What is a Notary Public?

A notary public is an individual commissioned by the Secretary of State to perform a notarial act and is a considered a “public ministerial officer” who is an impartial agent of the state commissioned to witness notarial writings and signatures. One of the main responsibilities of a public notary is to confirm the identity of the signer of a document through personal knowledge, a credible witness and/or identification card or papers. Also, a notary public ensures the signer is under his/her own free will, and there to witness the actual signing. The overall purpose of the notary public is fraud prevention in document signatures and certification.

Who Can Notarize?

An individual commissioned by the state can notarize signatures and documents and perform notarizing acts as set forth by the Secretary of State of their respective state.

What is a Notary Bond?

A notary bond or notary public surety bond is designed only to provide a limited source of funds for paying claims against the notary public. For example, California law requires every notary public to file an official bond in the amount of $15,000 prior to being able to receive the notary license commission to perform notarization services. The amount and rules regarding notary bonds will differ from state to state. One added detail for California notary publics is that the surety bond must cover all 4 years that the commission is valid. (Government Code sections 8212 to 8214).

How Does Notarizing Work?

Notarizing a document or signature entails a few steps, but will depend on your specific notarization act. For the most widely performed notary public services, VIP Notary Services will come to where ever you are in West LA and the greater Los Angeles area. We will review your documents to make sure they are ready to be notarized. If printing is required, please let us know in advance and we will be happy to accommodate at no additional charge. The commissioned public notary will: verify the identity of the signers, confirm that the signers understand what they are signing / signing under their own free will, witness the signature(s), log the notarization act in the notary journal book, collect fingerprints as required and complete a notarial certificate. In some cases, an oath or affirmation is required.

What are the Notary Public Fees / Cost?

There are some set notary public fees as set forth by each state. Government Code section 8211 specifies the maximum fees that may be charged for notary public services. However, services other than those listed from the notary handbook of CA below may have varying prices. It’s best to give us a call to get a price estimate on our services.
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CALIFORNIA NOTARY SERVICES	MAX. FEE
Acknowledgment or proof of a deed or other instrument, to include the seal and the writing of the certificate	$15 for each signature
Administering an oath or affirmation to one person	$15
Executing the jurat including the seal	$15
All services rendered in connection with taking of any deposition	$30
Additional services rendered in connection with taking of any deposition: (i.e., Administering the oath to the witness, Certificate to the deposition)	$7 for each signature
Notarize signatures on vote by mail ballot identification envelopes or other voting materials	$0
Certifying a copy of a power of attorney under Probate Code section 4307	$15
United States military veteran’s application or claim for a pension, allotment, allowance, compensation, insurance, or any other veterans benefit (Section 6107)	$0
A notary public qualified and bonded as an immigration consultant may enter data, provided by the client, on immigration forms provided by a federal or state agency	$15 per individual for each set of forms

When Notarizing A Document, What County Do You Use?

When notarizing a document, use the county in which the notarization is taking place (where the person / person(s) are / is present for signing. Although a public notary may have taken the oath in a specific county and their respective notary seal states a specific county, a notary public agent can perform notarization services anywhere in the state that the commission was obtained in. Therefore, they can notarize documents in any county in the state where they have a valid license to do so.

Apostille Knowledgebase

Where To Find The Best Apostille Services Near Me?

VIP Notary Services is a trusted notary public professional that handles your important documents with care and respect. Our team has been successfully obtaining California Apostille stamps and certificates for our clients for over a decade. We offer mobile Apostille services where we come to you and handle everything from beginning to end.

What is an Apostille?

An Apostille is a agreed upon legalization standard for international documents based on the Hague Conventions. According to the California Secretary of State, an Apostille “provides authentication of public official signatures on documents to be used outside the United States of America. An Authentication Certificate only certifies the authenticity of the signature of the official who signed the document, the capacity in which that official acted, and when appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which the document bears. The Authentication Certificate does not validate the other contents of the document.” Common Apostille documents include, but not limited to: company bylaws and articles of incorporation, power of attorney, diplomas, transcripts, letters relating to degrees, marital status, references and job certifications, home studies, deeds of assignments, distributorship agreements, papers for adoption purposes, citizenship abroad documentation, etc.

How Much Does A California Apostille cost?

We provide full comprehensive apostille services where everything will be taken
care of for you including the required notarizations as well as obtaining the Apostille through
the state of California. We offer flat rate pricing with no additional uncharges ever. Please
contact us for a quick and free quote.

Service charges will vary depending on location and urgency of documents. We charge a flat fee to handle expedited apostille services at the Los Angeles Regional Office. Our clients avoid the long lines, parking, aggravation, and time wasted. Expedited same day and next services are available.

What does it mean to have a document apostille?

Having a document Apostille refers to obtaining a signature certification for a document that needs to be used abroad in an Apostille Convention or Hague Convention country.

How To Verify Apostille California Reference Number?

Go to: www.sos.ca.gov/business/notary/apostille-search/ and enter the certificate number to verify if it was issued by the California Secretary of State’s office.

Where Is The Apostille LA Office?

Many think that there is a California Secretary of State Apostille office. This is partially true. The Apostille authentication certificate is obtained at a California Secretary of State office, but there is no designated office.

How to Apostille a Birth Certificate?

An Apostille for a birth certificate is a certification of the signature of the official of the department of public health on a birth certificate. You must first get a certified copy of your birth certificate. Then get it authenticated or Apostilled by the Secretary of State. Next get it authenticated or apostilled by the Department of State. Finally get it legalized by the embassy of your destination country.

Still have any questions? Contact us.