Notary Service Guidelines

• Notary service is provided at no charge to all Riverdale Public Library District patrons during library hours of operation.
  It is recommended that patrons call the Library (708-841-3311) prior to their visit to schedule an appointment. Walk-in service is possible, but notary staff availability is not guaranteed.
• Notary services are provided on Library premises only.
• Notaries are regulated by the Illinois Notary Laws and will not notarize documents that do not follow such laws and regulations. Notaries are not authorized to prepare or complete documents for others, nor give legal advice on any matter relating to a document.
• Notary Service is NOT available for:
  • I-9 forms, Apostilles, Certifications, Mortgages, Deeds, Wills, Living Wills, Living Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Codicils, or any other such documents as these can require legal knowledge beyond the scope of this free service.

• Public documents such as birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates cannot be copied and notarized.
• All persons signing the document, including witnesses, must be present and must provide a valid/unexpired photo ID with signature.
  • Recommended forms of ID are: Driver’s License, State ID, U.S Passport, or U.S. Military Card.

• Do not sign your documents before your appointment. The Notary must observe the signing of all documents.
• Service will not provided if the patron’s document or circumstances of the request for Notary Service raise any issues of authenticity, ambiguity, doubt, or uncertainty for the Notary. In this event, the Library Notary may at his/her sole discretion, decline to provide Notary Services.
• If witnesses are required for the completion and notarization of your document, you must provide the sufficient number at the time of your appointment. To serve as a witness, the witness(s) must be in possession of valid photo identification.
  • The Library will not provide witnesses.
  • Solicitation of staff members or patrons utilizing the library to act as witnesses is prohibited.

• Documents must be in English for notarization and all paperwork must be completely filled out. Blank forms cannot be notarized. If a space on a form does not require an answer, please write “N/A” or cross out the space leaving no blank spaces other than the signature line. Documents cannot be notarized with blank lines.
• In accordance with Illinois notary law, notaries must record all transactions in a notary journal. The information required in this journal includes the full name of the person(s) signing and their signature(s), the full name of any witnesses signing and their signatures, a title or description of the document, and the date/time. Service for patrons who decline to sign the journal will not be provided.