5 February 2021

Notarisation services for US citizens

Woodcock Notary Public offers a number of legal services, including the notarisation of documents for US citizens.

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

In this post, we explain the notarisation process for US forms and documents, and how to get an apostille.

We are experienced in assisting with documentation for the United States. We also offer advice in all areas of notarisation for documents for use abroad. In certain instances, non-US nationals going to America may also require a notary. We are happy to assist.

The USA’s system is unique, as each State possesses its own legislation. This means each State has its own notarisation process for documents. The details of different rules and requirements for each state can be found on the official website of the US Embassy in London.

Occasionally, further actions may need to be taken. For instance, certain states, such as California or North Carolina, have exceptional specifications. One of these is the need for an apostille.

An apostille is a certificate from the UK Government that validates the seal and signature of a notary. Apostilles are issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

US notarisation

Under the Uniform Law on Notarial Acts 1982, a document notarised in the UK, and awaiting an apostille, should be accepted by the United States.

This is because of the 1961 Hague Convention abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents. The US and the UK are party to this convention.

General rules regarding Certificates of Acknowledgement and Proof

The date of the acknowledgement, the name of the notary, and the fact they are duly authorised, admitted and sworn must be included.
Each certificate must state that the person making the acknowledgement of proof is known, or that their identity was proved, to the notary.
Each certificate should state that the grantor acknowledged that he executed and acknowledged the deed freely and voluntarily.
Since notaries in the US are only appointed for a limited time, UK notaries must state that their commission expires at death on the certificate.
References should always be made to the requirements of individual states.