What Is a Notary?
A notary public is a person granted the powers for taking affidavits as well as for verifying that signatures, marks, and copies, on documents are true and authentic. A notary public is governed by the Notaries Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. N.6 which can be found and read in full here.
What Does a Notary Do?
An individual or company will need a notary as a notary is an individual who is appointed by the government of Ontario to verify and observe the signing of documents to ensure that the documents, and the signatures upon the documents, are true and authentic rather than forgeries or falsifications.
A notary can do the following:
- Certify a signature on an original document;
- Certify that a document is an original document; and
- Certify that a copy of a document is a true copy of the original document.
A notary is unable to advise as to which of the above you will need. Please contact the institution that requires you to have your documents notarized.
What Differs Between a Notary and a Commissioner?
Commissioners for Taking Oaths of Truth For Affidavits, Solemn Affirmations or Declarations:
Asks the deponent to an Affidavit, being the person who is stating the truth of the information within the Affidavit, or deponent to other documents such as a Declaration, to swear to, or affirm, the truth of the statements and contents within the document and confirms identification of the deponent and confirms that the document was signed by the deponent. in the presence of the Commissioner.
Notary Public:
Can do the same as a Commissioner with extended powers, being as mentioned above:
- Certify a signature on an original document;
- Certify that a document is an original document; and
- Certify that a copy of a document is a true copy of the original document.
Here Are Just Some of the Documents That You Can Get Notarized Promptly:
- Wills & Powers of Attorney
- Real Estate Documents
- Travel Documents
- Transfer of Vehicle
- Immigration Documents
- Affidavits of Identity
- Affidavits of Income
- OSAP affidavits
- Statutory declarations of material status
- Statutory declarations of common law status
- Statutory declarations for name change applications
- Statutory declarations of identity
- Separation agreements
- Law Society of Ontario applications for license, among other things
- Ontario Court Forms – affidavits of service and affidavits of divorce
- Documents for international students
- and much more.