A notary public has a fair amount of responsibility in mortgage closings and serving as a witness for other documents. The notary must be present and authorize all signatures made to loan documents, name changes and other identification papers. The certification is not that difficult of a process to undertake but it is important to realize the ramifications of not correctly processing paperwork.

Becoming a Notary Public

Each state must certify a notary for them to gain their commission, which usually last four years. The candidate must be in good standing with the state and show an interest in properly handling paperwork. There is usually a short course that must be taken followed by an exam and application to become certified but any state's guidelines may vary.

Most real estate offices or mortgage companies have at least one person that is a notary public so that they can finalize agreements without having to leave the office. Having a notary close can allow clients to visit the office and not have to worry about finding a different location. As convenient as this is, there are some limitations as to what an employee that serves as a notary can do.

Locating a Notary

For instance, a loan officer may have three mortgage closings on one day in different parts of the city. This is great for business but it is not worth the time and effort for the notary to drive between locations only to view the signings and stamp each document as certified. For this reason, many mortgage companies use outside signing services to conduct closings because they are cost effective and the notary usually has a better understanding of all the loan documents.