Notary Services

Notary Policy

The Kemmerer Library offers Notary services free to all patrons.
(Donations to the Library are accepted)

Notary services are available on Thursdays during normal Library hours, but not less than 45 minutes before closing. Please call 973-267-2665 before visiting to ensure availability of appropriate staff.

Library Notary service is not available for deeds, mortgages and other real estate-related documents, wills, living wills, living trusts, codicils, depositions, birth certificates, marriage licenses, I-9 forms, or powers of attorney.

The Library does not provide witnesses. If your document requires witnesses, please bring them with you. Make sure they have proper identification with them as well.
(See below, valid photo ID) You may not approach strangers in the library to serve as
witnesses. Witnesses must be personally known to you and be willing to stand up in court on your behalf, should that become necessary in the future.

Notary service will be declined if the document, the identification, the circumstances or the capacity of the signer to understand the proceedings raises any questions of authenticity, or if the Notary does not understand the language of the document. The Library Notary reserves the right to decline service for any reason.

A current valid photo ID is required for Notary services. Acceptable forms of ID are:

  • Driver’s license
  • Non-driver ID issued by the Motor Vehicle Commission
  • US or foreign passport
  • US military ID
  • Green card

Procedures

The Library Notary will witness a person signing a document or signing a sworn statement on a document. The Library Notary certifies that:

  • The signer of the document appeared before the Notary
  • The Notary positively identified the signer, and
  • The signer both acknowledged the signature as their own, and that the signature was made willingly.

The Notary at the Kemmerer Library are not attorneys licensed to practice law and cannot give legal advice about immigration or any other legal matter or accept fees for legal advice. A Library Notary will, however, explain the difference between taking an oath or affirmation, and an acknowledgment, so that you can make the best choice of notarization if your document has no notarial wording.

Do not sign the document in advance. 

Notarization requires that you sign the document in the presence of the Notary.
All other blanks in a document must be filled in before notarization, with N/A if not applicable. Certain public documents cannot be copied and notarized (also referred to as copy certifications.) Examples of these are passports, birth certificates, death certificates and marriage certificates.

Notaries can only notarize in a language in which they are fluent. New Jersey law requires that a Notary and the patron seeking notarization be able to communicate directly with each other. Library Notaries are not permitted to make use of a translator to communicate with a Notary service customer.