Business notary: I come to your office, shop or jobsite

Sending three managers to a bank branch to get one resolution notarized costs more than my visit. I come to you, notarize every signer in one sitting, and leave an itemized receipt your bookkeeper can file.

Why bring a notary to the office?

Time. A bank branch may notarize only for its own customers, a shipping store may have one notary on shift, and neither will wait while you find the second signer. When I come to your office, everyone signs at their desk or in one conference room, and the paperwork goes out the same day.

I'm available 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, so I can come before the crew leaves the yard, at the end of a shift, or on a Saturday when the office is quiet. For a deadline today, see same-day notary appointments.

Business documents I notarize

• Construction paperwork: lien waivers, contractor's sworn statements, subcontractor affidavits and pay application documents.
• Corporate and LLC records: resolutions, secretary's certificates, incumbency certificates and ownership affidavits.
• Bank and lender forms: signature authority forms, account documents and business loan paperwork that call for a notary.
• Vendor and government packets: vendor registration affidavits, bid documents and sworn compliance statements for public contracts.
• Surety and insurance paperwork: acknowledgments on bonds and affidavits an insurer requests.
• Employment paperwork: affidavits and verification letters that need a notary.
• Documents headed abroad: company documents for a foreign bank or subsidiary. See notarization for apostilles.
• Business powers of attorney: authority for someone to sign on the company's behalf. See power of attorney notary visits.

Do lien waivers need to be notarized?

Often, but the requirement usually comes from the paperwork, not from me. In Chicago-area construction, it's common for owners, general contractors, lenders and title companies to require notarized lien waivers and sworn statements with every draw. Check your contract or the draw instructions; if the form has a notary certificate on it, it needs a notary.

If you have a stack of waivers for one signer, that's one visit with several notarized signatures. Each signature is a separate $5 notarial act under Illinois law, so ten waivers signed by one person add $45 to the base visit.

Can a notary complete Form I-9?

Yes, but not as a notary. When an employer can't examine a new hire's documents in person, it can choose an authorized representative to do it, and that person can be a notary public. Completing Form I-9 isn't a notarization: I don't put my seal on the form, and I don't make a journal entry as a notarial act. I physically examine the employee's original documents and complete the employer section the way the employer instructs.

The employer remains responsible for the form. Send me the employer's instructions and the blank form before the visit. Because it isn't a notarial act, the $5 notary fee doesn't apply; the trip is quoted like any other commercial visit.

How much does a business notary cost?

Offices, shops, jobsites, hotels and other commercial buildings use my commercial rate. Each signature I notarize adds the Illinois maximum of $5.

How to set up an on-site business signing

1. Call (708) 787-8868Tell me the address, the documents, the number of signers and roughly how many notarized signatures. I'll give you a total and a time.
2. Prepare the documentsHave every document complete, with signature lines blank and a notarial certificate for each signature. If you're not sure which certificate a form needs, ask whoever requires the notarization.
3. Gather signers and IDsEach signer needs a current government-issued photo ID. The Illinois notary ID guide lists what's accepted.
4. Sign one at a timeEach signer appears in front of me, shows ID and signs. I complete each certificate and journal entry as I go.
5. Itemized receiptBefore I leave, you get a receipt with the notary fees listed separately from the travel and service fee, as Illinois requires.

Multiple signers on site: how to keep it quick

• Put signers in one room, or give me a list of who signs what and when they'll be available.
• Flag every signature line that needs a notary with a sticky note.
• Have IDs out before I arrive. Checking ID is the step people forget.
• Tell building security I'm coming, especially downtown or at a hotel, so I'm not stuck in the lobby.
• If a signer can't make it, I can come back, but each trip is a new visit fee.

Where I notarize for businesses

Offices downtown and in the suburbs, construction trailers, warehouses, restaurants, medical offices and hotel meeting rooms. I'm based in Oak Lawn and cover Chicago, Bolingbrook and the I-55 corridor, Naperville, the O'Hare hotel area and points between. For the full price list, see pricing.

Business: questions people ask

Where I do business visits

These are the places I'm called to most for this kind of visit. I cover all of Chicagoland from Oak Lawn.

• Chicago
• Oak Lawn
• Bolingbrook & Romeoville
• Naperville
• Des Plaines & O'Hare
• Elmhurst

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