What Makes A Great Mobile Notary In Chicago?
There’s a misconception that a notary is just someone who simply stamps a signature on a document and off you go. While this may be true for ordinary, inefficient notaries (sorry UPS) when it comes to a professional mobile notary, the demand for a skilled, upscale notary in Chicago and suburbs that is ready to go at a moments notice is the preferred choice!
Business professionals such as realtors, title companies, escrow officers, lawyers, business owners need a fully insured and bonded notary to complete their transactions. Even more so when time is of the essence in closing the deal!
In other words, a great mobile notary is not simply a person who has a notary stamp. They have to know the laws and requirements in order to make your notarization legitimate – especially when dealing with real estate and apostilles.
Things to look for in a mobile notary
While there are endless notaries available, here are a few things you should look for and avoid when choosing the right mobile notary to notarize your documents:
1. Are they certified by the NNA
The National Notary Association conducts extensive background checks before listing or adding a notary to their database. A notary listed on their website says they have passed their exam, background requirements, and are licensed to act as an official notary. There are many other notary associations but the NNA is the main one.
2. Are they insured and bonded
We are all human and mistakes can happen. When a mobile notary is insured and bonded it means they are actively carrying insurance in case they make a mistake during the notarization. This is a must when dealing with real estate transactions. Most title companies won’t even work with a notary who is not carrying E&O insurance (errors and omissions)
Look to see if they are carrying at least a million dollars in coverage. Ask if they are insured. The notary should be able to say yes without hesitation and provide some sort of proof of coverage.
3. How long have they been a notary
Experience in anything is key! You might want to hire a notary who has been providing notary services for some years vs. one who just started. While there’s nothing wrong with a notary newbie, having piece of mind may just be worth the extra fee in knowing you have a seasoned notary looking over your documents and ensuring it’s notarized correctly.
This is even more important when dealing with documents that need to be sent to a foreign country from Chicago by means of an apostille.
4. Have they notarized documents like yours before
Not every notarization is the same for every document. For example, in Illinois a Power of Attorney needs to be notarized and accompanied by a witness in order to be legally binding. Notarizing mortgage documents needs to be done by a signing agent (not an ordinary notary)
While some documents are quick and easy, others require more attention to detail. Always let the mobile notary know what type of document you need notarized to make sure they have the right credentials to even perform the notarization.
Just because certain places say they offer notary service, does not mean they legally can. Often times customers are left with disappointment because their bank, currency exchange, or local notary public cannot notarize their documents because they are not licensed to do so.
5. How far will they travel and for how much
Mobile notaries in Chicago are paid well for the convenience they provide – so keep that in mind. Not only are they a professional service but they are bringing that service and expertise right to your home, office, nursing home and even hospitals in emergency cases.
Choosing a mobile notary to come to your location comes with a premium. They have to account for many more expenses such as fuel, wear and tear on their vehicle, insurance, and sometimes parking fees (especially downtown Chicago).
Distance can also play a roll in determining their fee. While most usually charge based on the number of documents they need to notarize, a distance fee is commonly added on. Choosing a local notary that’s closer to you may help reduce the fee especially if the notary company has a team of notaries available in various locations throughout Cook County such as Illinois Notary Pros.
We have notaries available in many counties such as McHenry, Lake, DuPage, North Cook, Central Cook and Southern Cook County. This helps keeps our fees competitive and allows us to serve anyone quickly.
Making the right choice
We hope this helps in your decision making when it comes to hiring a mobile notary in Chicago! We have notarized everything from simple documents such as i9 forms to more complex estate planning notarizations and even specialized mortgage and refinancing notary services.
We hope we can earn your business whenever you need a notary to come to your home or anywhere in Chicago and suburbs.
For mobile notarizations, trust only the Pros! Illinois Notary Pros.
