Notary Services

Notary service is not available for verifying identity on I-9 forms, foreign pension forms, certified copies of vital records, estate documents and any documents related to settlement of an estate, divorce forms, deeds, wills, living wills, living trusts, codicils, depositions, Power of Attorney, mortgages, or other real state closing documents.

Certain public documents cannot be copied and notarized. Examples of these are birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates.

Notary Services are limited to three documents per patron per visit.

Customers are encouraged to make an appointment. Notary Service is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and there are times when Notary Service is not available. The Library can be reached by calling 732-390-6785.

Overview

Library Notaries must witness a customer signing a document or signing a sworn statement on a document in order to notarize the signature. The Library Notary certifies that:

• The signer of the document appeared before the Notary;
• The Notary positively identified the signer, records the transaction in his/her ledger; and
• The signer both acknowledged the signature as his/her, and that the signature was made willingly.

The following are guidelines that must be followed in order to have a document notarized at the library.

• The person who will sign the document must appear personally before the Libary Notary; no Notary Services will be performed using any form of remote electronic communication.
• The person who will sign the document must provide the Notrary with at least one valid form of photo identification with a signature. The Notary may decline to notarize a document if the signer cannot provide acceptable ID.
• Acceptable forms of IDs
  • A current valid passport from any country, written in a language that the Notary can read;
  • A valid driver’s license;
  • A valid non-drivers photo identification card issued by the state or federal government;
  • A United States Military identification card.
• The person who will sign the document must be sure that the document is completely filled out, leaving no blanks other than where the customer will sign the document,  before appearing before the Library Notary. Library Notaries will not notarize a document that has already been signed by the customer.
• All persons using the notary's services must sign the notary's service journal before the notary will notarize any document.
• Library Notaries will only notarize documents written in English.
• Document signers must be able to communicate in English directly with the Library Notaries. Library notaries are not permitted to make use of a translator to communicate with individuals requesting Notary services.
• If witnesses are required, the library recommends bringing an individual who is personally known to the signer. The witness must also bring photo ID. Witnesses may not be solicited from patrons using the library. The Library will not provide witnesses. 
• The Library Notary cannot certify copies of vital records such as birth, marriage and death. Please note that certified copies of many documents such as birth, marriage or death certificates are available from the original issuing authority. The Library Notary can issue a notarized affidavit of a copy, and witness the signature.  This places the responsibility on the person making the copy. The library will not take responsibility for notarized copies that are unacceptable for their intended purpose.
• A Library Notary may not notarize any document, to which the Notary or the Notary's spouse or civil union partner is a party or in which either has a direct beneficial interest.

In accordance with New Jersey Notarial Law, Notaries will not provide service if the customer, document or circumstances of the request for Notary service raises any issue of authenticity, ambiguity, doubt or uncertainty for the Notary or the Library. Likewise, Notaries will not provide service if the Notary is not satisfied that the signer has the capacity to execute the document, that the individual is signing knowingly and voluntarily, that the signature on the document substantially conforms to the signature on the form of identification provided, and that the physical apperance of the signor substantially conforms to the photograph on the form of identification provided. The Library Notary may at his/her sole discretion decline to provide Notary Service.

Fees

The charge for Notary service is $2.50 per notary signature, as recommended by the state of New Jersey, Department of Treasury. 

Hours of Service

Notary Services are available during the Library’s hours of operation and are not available in the one hour prior to closing. Notary Services are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Notary Services may not be available during the times listed below based on staffing levels, or if staff are attending to other job duties.

The Library provides notary service during these hours:

• Monday through Thursday: 10am - 8pm
• Friday: 10am - 5pm
• Saturday: 10am - 4pm
• Sunday: 1pm to 4pm

The Library will be closed on August Sundays.

Location of Notary Service

The Library conveniently provides Notary Services at the Customer Service Desk and the Passport Office.
 

Address

East Brunswick Public Library
2 Jean Walling Civic Center
East Brunswick, NJ 08816

Free parking is available in three lots, or on the street alongside the building.
 

Requirements for Notaries

Qualifications - All Library Notaries must be commissioned by the New Jersey State Treasure to perform a notarial act and provide Notary Services.

Journals - Each Library Notary must mantain a journal of all notarial acts perform. Each journal entry shall include:

• Date and time of Notary Service performed;
• Type of Notary Service performed;
• Name and address of each person for whom Notary Service was performed;
• Form of identification used to verify identity of signer, including type of ID provided, issue date, expiration date; or name and signature of identifying witness and, if applicable, the type of ID witness provided, issue date, and expiration date; or statement that identification based on Notary's personal knowledge;
• Signature of each person for whom Notary Service was performed; and
• Itemized list of fee(s) charged for each Notary Service provided.

Additional Information

If you require further information, please contact the Administration Office at 732-390-6781, Monday through Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm.