What to Bring to Your Notary Appointment
Ninety percent of appointment problems trace back to three things: the wrong ID, a pre-signed document, or a missing page. Run through this checklist the night before and your visit will take ten smooth minutes.
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Which ID is accepted?
Bring one piece of valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID:
Canadian or foreign passport
Ontario driver’s licence or Ontario photo card
Permanent resident card
Canadian citizenship card with photo or certificate of Indian status with photo
Health cards cannot serve as primary identification. A second piece of ID, even without a photo, is worth bringing whenever the name on your document is styled differently than your primary ID, married versus maiden name, initials versus full middle name, and so on.
How should I prepare the document itself?
Bring it complete
every page, schedule and attachment, including exhibits an affidavit refers to
Bring it unsigned
signatures happen in front of me, that is the entire point
Fill in every blank
except the signature and date lines, or know the answers cold
Bring originals
whenever a certified true copy is involved, since I certify only against originals I inspect
Bring the recipient’s
whenever a certified true copy is involved, since I certify only against originals I inspect
Anything else worth having?
The destination country if the document is going abroad, so I can flag apostille needs on the spot. The court file number for affidavits. A custody order for child travel consents where one exists. And a payment method: debit, credit or e-Transfer.
Who has to attend in person?
Every person whose signature is being notarized or whose oath is being taken, each with their own ID. Children named in travel consent letters stay home; owners of documents being copy-certified can send someone else with the original. When you are unsure whether a person must appear, ask before booking and I will answer in one text.