Notary Service is available at the Wooster, Main Library, provided by a licensed State of Ohio Notary. By appointment only!
Please contact the Wooster Main Library at 330-262-0916 to make an appointment. This service is provided free of charge.
Notary Service Guidelines for Patrons
The notary’s role is limited to authenticating the signature presented. Patrons should be aware that notarizing a document does not constitute a legal review of the document’s contents. A Notary Public is not a licensed attorney. Notaries cannot provide legal advice or counseling regarding documents. In accordance with Ohio notarial law, the library’s notaries will not provide service if the customer, document, or circumstances of the request for notary service raise any issue of authenticity, ambiguity, doubt, or uncertainty for the library. In this event, the notary may, at their sole discretion, decline to provide notary service.
Availability
Notary service is available at the following Wayne County Public Library locations by appointment only:
Wooster
You must call ahead to reserve an appointment and ensure that we are able to notarize the documents that you plan to bring with you. Notary service is one of many services provided by the library and not the Notary’s only duty.
Limits
The library limits the number and length of documents able to be notarized at one time to 3 documents.
Documents
The library notarizes a variety of documents free of charge.
Some requests require specialized knowledge or expertise beyond our capabilities. The library will not notarize:
Documents in languages other than English
Real Estate Transactions and Quit Claim Deeds
Corporate Documents
Last Will and Testaments
Living Wills
Living Trusts
Codicils
I-9 forms
Documents that require electronic signature
Passport or Visa Applications
Appearance and Identification
Ohio law requires that the person(s) signing the document(s) to be notarized appear in person and present proper identification.
Valid forms of Identification include:
Current Driver’s License
State-Issued ID
US Passport
US Military ID
US Permanent Resident Card (“Green Card”)
If you are under 18 and do not have a driver’s license/state ID, please bring:
A certified copy of your birth certificate
International Identification cards and/or International Driver’s Licenses cannot be accepted.
Each notary maintains a log wherein each transaction is noted. The notary also enters information regarding documentation used for identification, the document notarized, and witnesses.
Witness
You must be accompanied by any witnesses that are needed to complete the document. Witnesses cannot be provided by the library, nor can they be solicited from Library patrons. The witness must personally know the person whose document is being notarized and must be in possession of a valid photo identification.
Preparation of the document to be notarized
The name on the notarized document must match the name on the ID exactly.
Complete all information above the signature line completely leaving no blanks. Blank spaces not used in a document should have a line drawn through them so that no one can add to the terms of the document after it was signed.
Documents to be notarized must contain a Notary Public jurat or acknowledgment certificate. If the document(s) does not include this, the Notary will have to attach a certificate to the document before it can be notarized.
All document signers must be present at the time of signing and must sign in the presence of the notary.
Some documents require that the signer take an oath. The notary will administer the oath.
Communication
Ohio law requires that the notary and the customer seeking notarization be able to communicate directly with each other and with witnesses. The library is not permitted to make use of a translator to communicate with a notary service customer. Currently our Notary staff speak English only.
Certification
In the State of Ohio, notaries cannot certify documents. We cannot certify copies of:
Passports
Driver’s licenses
Birth certificates
Marriage licenses
Death certificates
Divorce certificates
Naturalization certificates
If you were born anywhere in Ohio, go to the Dept. of Vital Statistics at the Wayne County Health Department, 203 S Walnut St, Wooster, OH 44691, and obtain a certified copy of your birth certificate.
If you were born outside of Ohio, go to https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/index.htm or https://www.vitalchek.com/birth-certificates and order a copy of your birth certificate to be sent to you.