Your Guide to Commonly Notarized Documents

Aerial view of paper document on wooden desk

Hundreds of millions of documents are notarized every year in the United States, most of which are required by “relying parties” — like mortgage companies, government agencies, and insurance companies. A document is notarized to ensure it’s authentic and it can be trusted. While just about anything with a signature can be notarized, below are the most commonly notarized documents by category.

  • Financial
  • Estate Planning
  • Real Estate
  • Healthcare
  • Family Law
  • Legal
  • Authorization/Permission
  • Verification

Financial

Mortgage and refinance documents: Solidify your agreement with a lender for borrowing money to purchase or refinance real estate.

Examples include the Deed of Trust, which grants the lender a security interest in your property, and the Promissory Note, outlining the loan terms.

Personal loan documents: Enforces the conditions and terms of the personal loan and protects both parties involved.

Payment agreements: Clarifies a repayment plan between parties for a debt, outlining the amount owed, timeframe, and potential consequences for non-payment.

Estate planning

Powers of attorney: Allows you to designate a trusted person (agent) to manage your financial affairs if you become incapacitated.

Wills: Specifies how you want your assets distributed after your death.

Trust documents: Allows you to manage assets and distribute them according to your wishes, potentially offering tax benefits and bypassing probate.

Real estate

Title transfers: Officially transfers ownership of real estate from the seller to the buyer.

Healthcare

Advance medical directives: Allows you to express your wishes for medical care in case you are unable to communicate them yourself.

Family law

Adoption agreements: Outlines the adoption process and parental rights.

Custody agreements: Outlines the parental rights and responsibilities for childcare.

Parental consent for travel: Grants permission for a minor child to travel with someone other than a legal guardian. These documents may also be referred to as child travel authorization or consent for child passport.

Legal

Affidavits: Verifies the truth of a particular matter via sworn statements.

Contracts: Outlines the rights and obligations of involved parties.

ID theft victim’s complaint and affidavit: Used to report and provide sworn testimony about identity theft.

General letter of consent: Permission granted in writing for a specific action (may also be used for non-legal purposes).

Authorization/permission

Letter of agreement: Functions as an authorization for someone to act on your behalf or a less formal contract outlining terms between parties.

Letter of authorization: Explicitly grants permission to someone to take a specific action on your behalf.

Verification

Proof of residency: Verifies your current address, such as a utility bill or bank statement.

Personal affidavit: Used for verification purposes or legal matters via sworn statements.

If your document is not listed above, check with the receiving agency to confirm whether your document requires a Notary.

Get your document notarized today with a Notary near you.