Both a notary public and signature guarantee institution are authorized to witness and verify a signature, and then apply an official stamp to documents. You’ll need to bring proper identification and sign the documents in the presence of the official who will stamp the document.
Notary
A notary public is an individual with state certification to witness and authenticate a signature on many kinds of documents.
- Notaries typically use an official seal to authenticate deeds and other documents.
- Notary services available in the branch do not apply to estate planning documents such as wills and trusts, or to powers of attorney.
- In-branch notary services also do not include health documents such as living wills and HIPAA authorizations.
Signature guarantee
Signature guarantees are used for financial transactions most commonly related to selling or transferring securities. A signature-guarantee institution has federal authority to officially stamp documents.
- Authorization limit is $100,000 per transaction.
- A signature guarantee is sometimes required for the transfer of securities such as the sale or redemption of stocks or bonds.
Notary services are not available for acknowledging signatures on estate planning documents including, but not limited to, wills, trust documents, powers of attorney, living wills, HIPAA Authorizations, and related documents.
