Authorizing a minor is similar to authorizing an adult, however, there are a few additional things that a 24*7 mobile notary services officer should ensure. Regardless of their age, they need to be identified as per the requirements given by the state law. It is also necessary for the minor to provide credible witnesses who can’t be parents.
Similarly, many other things are imperative to notarize a minor. In this article, we have discussed five points that you should keep in mind:
5 Things to Keep in Mind When Notarizing for a Minor
From the number of witnesses, a minor should present to following the state law’s guidelines, there are multiple things to be considered while notarizing a minor. We have discussed five important considerations for a 24*7 mobile notary services agent.
1. Ensure That the Minor Understands What they are Signing
Firstly, it is necessary to note that a minor can be easily manipulated or threatened. Hence, the major task of the mobile notary agent should be to ensure that the minor understands what they are signing.
Here are the steps to take:
- Prepare the minor for some friendly questions that the 24*7 mobile notary services agent needs to ask, such as what the document is related to, whether the minor is signing it of free will, and whether they understand the purpose.
- Only when the minor is approved for all three discussed above, the minor is notarized successfully. This includes knowing what they are authorizing, the importance of the document, and that they are not performing this act forcefully.
After this process has been followed, take some time to review the document that you need to notarize, evaluate errors, and complete the certificate. Allow both witnesses and the minor to sign the notary journal and complete the transaction.
Once this is achieved, you have notarized a minor.
2. The Record of Notary Service in your Journal
When you are recording this transaction in your notary journal, it should include the following information:
- The name of the minor
- Address of the minor
- Notarization address
- Type of notarization
- Name of credible witnesses
- Relation of credible witnesses with the minor
- Valid identification offered by the minor and witnesses
Once you have details in the journal, allow both witnesses and the minor to sign the journal.
In case, no witnesses were involved in the transaction, then you should offer 24*7 mobile notary services through other identity verification services. This means only the minor will sign your journal.
3. The Youngest Age for Minor Notary Service
Ideally, there’s no limit to the minimum of notarizing a minor. Unless you find a specific law related to this, you can notarize a minor without challenges.
However, remember that you need proper judgment to notarize a minor. For example, the minor should be able to present an ID card or witnesses to authorize the transaction. The minor should be old enough to read the document, understand it, and sign it.
Without these requirements, you should refuse 24*7 mobile notary services. This is because it may be challenging to notarize a minor who is mentally incapable of understanding or he/she is not old enough to understand the document and transaction.
4. Who can Act as Credible Witnesses?
Note that credible witnesses are people who are not interested in the transaction, business deal, or any document in any manner. For this reason, parents rarely become witnesses for a minor. Therefore, you need to have credible witnesses who are not parents of the child or minor.
However, with that being said, it is still not a 24*7 mobile notary service agent’s job to determine the right fit for credible witnesses. If the minor appears with parents as witnesses, the notary agent only needs to verify documents and transactions. They need to ensure that the minor fully understands what’s happening.
Unless the notary is working under an attorney, they don’t have legal authority in this matter.
5. Proper Identification is Necessary
Lastly, an obvious requirement is proper minor identification. If the minor can present any identity approved by the state, you can successfully verify the minor without challenges. If the minor can’t present an ID card, then you can use credible witnesses for the same purpose.
Here, you have two options: one witness who is personally identifiable by the minor as well as the notary or one witness who is not personally identifiable by the notary but by the minor. Credible witnesses should be able to offer state-issued or valid identity proof to the 24*7 mobile notary services.
Conclusion
In general, notarizing any minor is similar to how a 24*7 mobile notary services agent would validate an adult. The minor needs to connect with the mobile notary, provide valid proof of identity, and ensure that he/she understands the motive behind this transaction.
The notary needs to carefully check the identity of the agent and witnesses. If any conditions for notarization are not met, the notary agent should refuse the service before beginning the transaction.