3 things customers get wrong — and Notaries need to know — about apostille services

Offering apostille services can be a good way for Notaries to earn additional income and diversify their services. But customers can be confused about what Notaries can do when they provide “apostille services.”

The National Notary Bulletin spoke with Frank Metayer, owner of Apostilles Near Me in San Diego, California, about offering apostille services as part of a mobile Notary business. Metayer said that if Notaries want to offer this service, it’s important that you understand what an apostille is and make it clear to customers exactly what services you can provide.

Below are 3 things customers often misunderstand about apostille services, along with what every Notary should know:

1. Notaries do not issue apostilles

2. Notaries do not provide apostille certificates to customers

3. An apostille cannot be issued unless the document is notarized

1. Notaries do not issue apostilles

The most common misconception is that a Notary can issue customers an apostille for a document on the spot. That’s not true, Metayer says. An apostille confirms that the Notary’s commission is valid on notarized documents sent to foreign countries. The notarized document must be submitted to an appropriate state government agency in order to have an apostille attached. Notaries offering apostille services are paid a fee by customers to deliver the notarized document to the government agency that issues apostilles.

2. Notaries do not provide apostille certificates to customers

Customers may also ask if Notaries can provide an apostille certificate for the customer to attach themselves. Again, because Notaries do not have the authority to issue apostille certificates, they cannot provide these certificates to customers.

3. An apostille cannot be issued unless the document is first notarized

An apostille cannot be issued if there is no notarization on the document. If a document needs to be notarized, it can be done by the Notary offering apostille services, but this is not a requirement. A different Notary can perform the notarization before the apostille is requested.

Finally, remember any notarization will be reviewed carefully

Whoever notarizes a document that needs an apostille, it’s very important that the document is notarized correctly and all rules are followed, Metayer cautioned. The receiving country will review the document to confirm everything is correct and has the right to reject the document if the notarization was not done properly.