What is a Notary Public?
A notary public acts as an impartial third-party witness to not only the signature of a document but also that all parties who signed a document did so of their own free will.
Our Notary Services
Student Legal Services (“SLS”) provides notary services to current students and staff by notarizing various documents such as wills, affidavits, power of attorneys, etc.
Please note:
- This service is free.
- Non-attorney staff cannot assist or advise you on the completion of forms or give any type of legal advice.
- Please review your document to see if witnesses are required. If so, you will need to provide your own witnesses (with ID) or call ahead to ensure that we have sufficient staff available.
To get a document notarized, please use the Google Form links below:
Student
Faculty/Staff
Once you have completed one of the two above request forms, please wait for us to send you an email detailing our walk-in hours for the week. If for some reason you are unable to access the Google Form, please call our office.
The Notarization Process
Before you come to SLS, please note the following:
- Do not sign the document(s) prior to coming to SLS. If you have signed the document, you will be asked to re-sign in the notary's presence.
- Please bring a valid, government-issued photo ID (drivers license, state ID, passport).
- Typically the name on your ID must match the name on the document. If it does not, please call ahead so that we can discuss your situation.
- Please make sure that any and all required blanks are completed prior to coming to SLS.
- Please make sure that you have reviewed and understand your document.
Once at SLS, please note the following:
- You will be asked to complete our notary log.
- You will be asked for your ID to confirm your identity, and so your signature on the ID can be reviewed.
- You will be asked if you are familiar with the document and are signing freely and voluntarily.
- You will be asked to sign the document(s) in front of the notary.
Notary Services SLS Cannot Provide
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True Copy Certification. A notary cannot certify that a document is a true copy in the state of Michigan. Instead, you may make a copy of the document(s) and attach a statement attesting to the validity of that copy.* We can then notarize your signature on that statement. The procedure is as follows:
- Make a copy of the document(s).
- Download the True Copy Attestation document (Google Doc). After the statement "...the original document of:", write a description of the document. If the document has dates or identifying numbers, include those.
- Print the document without dating or signing/printing your name. You will complete this at SLS before the Notary Public.
- SLS will provide a letter explaining its True Copy Certification policy which you can give to the recipient of your documents.
*Please note that it is not permissible to attest to the validity of copies made of vital or recordable documents (whether recorded or not) such as birth certificates and marriage licenses. This is because the issuing agency holds the original document and you have a certified copy. You should instead contact those sources directly to obtain certified copies. It may also be an issue to attest to the validity of copies made from school records such as transcripts. (See further information re school records here).
For further information on True Copy Statements, you may review the State of Michigan's guidelines here: True Copy Statement
- Documents for Apostille. To have a document apostilled is a multi-step process. We only provide the notary service. An apostille is issued for documents intended for use only in foreign countries that are party to the Hague Treaty. A Certificate of Authority is issued for all other countries. The original document must be signed in front of a notary and must contain original signatures. You must then complete the process by having the document apostilled through the State of Michigan. For more information, please call the Office of the Great Seal at (888) 767-6424. You can also learn more at the Secretary of State's website.
- I-9 Forms - Verifying Documentation. By Michigan law, the verification of documents is not a notarial act. Therefore, we can not perform I-9 verifications. If it is for the University of Michigan, please make an appointment with Human Resources. Alternatively, the UPS Store at 2232 S. Main St. in Ann Arbor will complete I-9 forms for a $10.00 fee. It's telephone number is (734) 662-7777.
- Notarizing Employment Documents. One of a notaries primary functions is to verify the identity of a signer to a document and then view the signing of that document. However, we are not permitted by law to verify your identity (i.e. for security clearances required in some pre-employment processes).