What Documents You Can (and Can’t) Notarize in California

Yuriko Jacobs
7 days ago
4 min read

Let’s clear something up: being a notary doesn’t mean you can stamp your approval on anything with paper and ink.

You’re not a mini-judge. You’re more like the witness who makes sure everyone’s playing fair and signing what they actually mean to sign.

In California, notaries have a specific lane — and the moment you drift out of it, the Secretary of State will happily remind you of the rules.

So, let’s walk through what you can notarize, what’s off-limits, and what falls into the “gray area where you should absolutely pause and ask questions.”

First Things First: What a Notary Actually Does

At its core, your job as a notary is to:

Verify the signer’s identity
Make sure they’re willing to sign
Ensure they understand what they’re signing

You’re not confirming whether the document’s content is true. If someone signs a statement saying they’ve invented teleportation, that’s not your problem. Your seal just says, “Yep, this person is who they say they are, and they signed this in front of me.”

✅ Documents You Can Notarize in California

Let’s start with your comfort zone — the documents you can safely stamp without fear of the Notary Police showing up.

1. Acknowledgments

Used when the signer confirms they signed willingly. Common for:

Real estate documents
Power of attorney
Trust documents
Deeds

Example: Jane signs a grant deed transferring her property. You verify her ID, she says, “Yep, that’s my signature,” and you notarize it. Easy.

2. Jurats

Used when the signer swears or affirms that the document is true. Common for:

Affidavits
Depositions
Sworn statements

Example: John signs an affidavit saying he saw an alien in his backyard. You don’t verify the alien — you just verify John’s identity and watch him swear to it.

3. Certified Copies of Powers of Attorney

California notaries can certify copies of powers of attorney — but only those. If someone asks for a certified copy of their birth certificate, that’s a big no.

Example: A client needs two certified copies of their mother’s power of attorney for financial purposes. You verify the original, make the copies, complete the certification, and boom — totally legal.

4. Oaths and Affirmations

You can administer an oath or affirmation — it’s part of a jurat. Bonus: You can charge $15 for it. (That’s right. You get paid to make people promise they’re telling the truth. Not a bad gig.)

5. Loan and Real Estate Documents

Most signing agents live in this world — refinances, deeds, mortgage paperwork, HELOCs, and so on. As long as you’re not giving legal advice about what the documents mean, you’re good.

🚫 Documents You Cannot Notarize in California

Here’s where many new notaries get tripped up.

1. Birth, Death, or Marriage Certificates

Nope. You can’t certify or notarize those. If someone brings one to you and says, “Can you notarize this copy?” your response is:

“Only the county or state registrar can issue certified copies of vital records. Sorry — I don’t want to go to Notary Jail.”

(Okay, “Notary Jail” isn’t real, but fines and suspension are.)

2. Documents Without a Notarial Certificate

If there’s no preprinted notarial wording (acknowledgment or jurat), you cannot guess. You must ask the signer which act they want.

Example: A client hands you a random document and says, “Just stamp it." Nope. You politely say,

“I can’t choose the notarial act for you — that would be considered legal advice.” Then let them pick, or suggest they check with whoever prepared the document.

3. Blank or Incomplete Documents

Never notarize anything with missing information. If there are blank spaces, missing names, or incomplete details, you’re asking for a fraud disaster.

Example: If the date or signer’s name is blank, you stop immediately. You’re a notary, not a psychic.

4. Copies of Court or Government-Issued Documents

Like we said earlier, you cannot certify or notarize copies of:

Birth certificates
Death certificates
Marriage certificates
Divorce decrees
Naturalization papers
Court documents

Those can only come certified from the issuing agency.

5. Documents You Have a Personal Interest In

If your name appears anywhere on it — as a signer, beneficiary, or business party — you’re out. That’s a conflict of interest, and in California, that’s a fast way to lose your commission.

Example: You can’t notarize your spouse’s loan documents or your own power of attorney, no matter how convenient it seems.

🤔 The “Ask Before You Stamp” Zone

Some documents live in the gray zone. Here’s how to handle them:

Out-of-state documents: Okay, as long as the notarial wording is valid in California or that state.
Foreign-language documents: Okay, as long as you and the signer can both understand what’s happening. The notarial certificate must still be in English.
Digital copies: You can notarize a printed-out digital document — but not perform an online notarization. (Not yet. California won’t allow RON until 2030, unless you’re commissioned in another state.)

When in doubt, call the Secretary of State or say the magic words:

“I’m not an attorney and can’t give legal advice.” That line has saved many a notary’s hide.

✅ Quick Reference Cheat Sheet

Can Notarize	Cannot Notarize
Acknowledgments	Birth/Death/Marriage Certificates
Jurats	Blank or incomplete documents
Powers of Attorney (certified copies)	Court-issued or government documents
Loan docs	Documents you’re named in
Oaths and affirmations	Anything without clear notarial wording