10/23/2026
Things people say about notarization that are NOT automatically true
❌ “If my parent/spouse is too sick to communicate, the notary can still do it because the family knows what they want.”
Not like that. A notary cannot simply rely on family members speaking for a signer who cannot participate in the required notarial act.
❌ “If the notary knows me, I don’t have to be there.”
Knowing you may help establish identity in certain situations, but it does NOT replace the required appearance before the notary.
❌ “A notary can look over my will, POA, deed, or contract and tell me if I did it right.”
Unless that notary is also acting as your attorney, that crosses into legal advice. Indiana specifically prohibits a non-attorney notary from choosing the proper notarization or preparing legal documents for you.
❌ “Any video call counts as an online notarization.”
Nope. FaceTime, Messenger, or a regular Zoom call does not automatically make something a Remote Online Notarization. Indiana RONs have specific authorization, technology, identity-verification, and recording requirements.
❌ “If my spouse is a notary, they can just notarize my paperwork.”
Not necessarily. Indiana prohibits a notary from performing a notarial act for their spouse or when the notary or spouse may benefit from the transaction.
❌ “If a notary notarized it, the courthouse, lender, title company, or other office HAS to accept it.”
No. The receiving organization can have its own requirements for the document. A proper notarization does not guarantee the document will be accepted for its intended purpose.
THIS is why “my cousin said…” and “the last notary did it…” aren’t the rules. 😂
There is a lot more to notarization than putting a stamp on a piece of paper.
www.doniellsnotary.com
\
