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Notary Services at APLD

Do you need a notary? A Notary Public appointed by the State of Illinois is available to help you by notarizing documents at every APLD location.

Notary Public services are available at no charge and by appointment.  

This service is available in English at all locations and in Spanish at Santori and West Branch.  You will have the opportunity to select your desired location and language on the appointments page!

  Ver esta página en Español 

How to Prepare for Your Appointment

  • Please do not sign or date the documents until you are present for your appointment. Documents must be signed in the presence of the Notary. 
  • Please make sure all other fields are completed prior to your appointment. 
  • Make sure you bring the entire document, not just the signature page. 
  • Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. 
  • If there is more than one signer to the document, all signers must be at the same appointment and present ID.  Just one appointment is necessary!
  • If a witness is required, you must bring a witness with you. Library staff or other library customers may not act as a witness. Witnesses must also present ID. 

Important Information

  • Notary services in Spanish are provided by select staff. By law, notary services through an interpreter are not permitted. 
  • Our notaries are not lawyers, nor licensed to practice law.  Notaries cannot offer legal advice or help explain the contents of the document to the signer. 

  • Notary service is not guaranteed. The library will only notarize documents with a notarial certificate, which includes notarial wording and designated space for the notary signature and stamp.  The following is an example of one type of notarial certificate:
     

    For more information on state requirements for notarization, please visit https://www.ilsos.gov/publications/pdf_publications/ipub16.pdf

  • Special note: We have recently had several requests for notarization of international passport and visa application/renewal forms that do not contain a notarial certificate.  The following is an example of one type of notarial certificate:

    We cannot notarize any document without a notarial certificate. If your form or document does not include a notarial certificate, please consult an attorney or the appropriate consulate for assistance before you make a notary appointment.