What is a Notary Public? And what do they do?

 A Notary Public is an official of integrity appointed by the Secretary of State (but may sometimes be another government official) to serve the public as an impartial witness in performing a variety of official fraud-deterrent acts related to the signing of important documents. 

 A Notary's duty is to screen the signers of important documents for their true identity, their willingness to sign without duress or intimidation, and their awareness of the contents of the document or transaction. Some notarizations also require the Notary to put the signer under an oath, declaring under penalty of perjury that the information contained in a document is true and correct. Property deeds, wills and powers of attorney are examples of documents that commonly require a Notary.