Signing guidance

Finding a notary in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey

Some of the documents Airlooms prepares must be signed in front of a notary public, and one of them must not be. This page says which is which, what to bring, and how to find a notary near you or online. It is guidance: Airlooms does not provide or arrange notary services, and you choose the notary.

Which Airlooms documents need a notary

The signing instructions printed with each document are the ones to follow. This is the same list, in one place.

• Financial power of attorney. Notarized in all three states. In Pennsylvania you also sign before two witnesses, and neither the notary nor your agent may be a witness (20 Pa.C.S. § 5601(b)). In New York both your signature and your agent’s acknowledgment are notarized, and you need two witnesses, one of whom may be the notary (N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-1501B). In New Jersey the acknowledgment is what makes the document usable for banking and property (N.J.S.A. 46:2B-8.9).
• Revocable living trust. You acknowledge your signature before a notary in every state we prepare it for.
• Deed into trust. Notarized, because the county will not record a deed without an acknowledgment. Before using a remote notary for a deed, ask the recorder of deeds or county clerk whether they accept electronically notarized deeds; practice varies by county.
• Certification of trust, assignment of property to the trust, and the agent’s certification. Each is notarized. The agent’s certification is sworn, so the agent signs it in front of the notary rather than beforehand.
• Medical power of attorney in New Jersey. Two witnesses, or instead a notary or a New Jersey attorney (N.J.S.A. 26:2H-56). Pennsylvania and New York use witnesses, not a notary, for this document.
• Disposition of remains in New Jersey. Two witnesses and a notary. In Pennsylvania and New York the directive is not notarized.

Which must not be notarized

• The will itself. A will is signed with witnesses, never notarized; a notary stamp on the will does nothing for it. What the notary signs is the separate self-proving affidavit that comes with the will, which you and your witnesses sign together in front of the notary so the will can be admitted later without tracking the witnesses down (20 Pa.C.S. § 3132.1; N.Y. SCPA § 1406; N.J.S.A. 3B:3-4). Bring the witnesses to the notary, or the affidavit cannot be completed.
• New York health care proxy and HIPAA authorization. Witnesses only for the proxy (N.Y. Pub. Health Law § 2981), and no witnesses or notary at all for the HIPAA authorization, in every state.

What to bring

• Current government photo ID for everyone who will sign in front of the notary, including your agent if their acknowledgment is being notarized.
• The documents, unsigned. Sign in front of the notary. For an affidavit or a sworn certification this is required; for an acknowledgment the notary can accept a signature you already made, but signing there removes any doubt.
• Your witnesses, where the document needs them. A Pennsylvania or New York financial power of attorney and every self-proving affidavit need two adult witnesses present at the same sitting. Choose people who are not named in the document.
• The signing instructions printed at the end of each Airlooms document. They list the order to sign in and who may not serve as a witness, and a notary will appreciate seeing the certificate wording in advance.
• Time. A notary who has never seen your documents will read the certificate before signing it. Book a longer appointment if several documents are being signed at once.

How to find a mobile or online notary

A mobile notary comes to you. A remote online notary meets you over video, checks your ID electronically, and signs and seals electronically. All three states authorize remote online notarization; each requires the notary to be commissioned in that state and set up for it.

Notary fees are set or capped by each state and are paid by you to the notary. Airlooms does not collect them and does not pay them.

Notaries who list Airlooms

This list is empty today. We are inviting notaries in all three states who link to Airlooms from their own pages and keep the “not an attorney” notice their state requires. No notary pays to appear here, and Airlooms receives nothing from any notary. Being listed is not a recommendation, and you may use any notary you choose.

A commissioned notary who would like to be listed can write to support@airlooms.ai.

Ready to prepare your documents?

Every document comes with its own signing instructions for your state, including whether a notary is needed and who may witness.

Airlooms is a self-help document preparation service, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. Airlooms is not a notary and does not provide, arrange, or include notary services. The notary you choose is responsible for the notarial act. A document only takes effect when signed, witnessed, and, where required, notarized according to the laws of your state.