As notary publics, at the Woodland Hills location of The Document People/We the People we see many types of documents, brought to us for notarization (in addition to the ones we prepare in house – quitclaim deeds, power of attorneys, etc.).
Occasionally customers visit us with a I-9 form, hoping for assistance from us as a notary public. For those who are unfamiliar with the I-9 form, this form is prepared by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to verify the identity and employment eligibility of a person.
The perspective employer is supposed to fill it out, verify the authenticity of the IDs provided to insure that the employee is allowed to accept employment in the United States (ex. passport, permanent resident card, etc.), and swear that – to the best of the employer’s abilities – such documents are authentic.
Some large out of State employers don’t have the ability to verify such authenticity so they mistakenly send prospective employees to notaries thinking that notaries can perform such duties for them.
Unfortunately in California a notary public cannot perform such a notarization. We contacted the National Notary Association and they confirmed that’s not a form a California notary public can notarize. As an alternate option they suggested, a third party – such as a neighbor, friend or family member – can sign such form swearing that – to the best of his or her abilities, the IDs provided appear authentic.
The Document People is a network of legal document assistants who specializes in assisting customers with notarizations. We offer notary services in We the People Woodland Hills, We the People Santa Monica, San Fernando, We the People Glendale and The Document People Torrance, Anaheim and Oceanside.
The information contained in this blog – including information of a legal nature – is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.