Notary Services
Notary Public services are available at the library, Monday – Friday, 11 AM – 5 PM.
The Palisades Free Library has 2 notaries on staff. The notaries are not on site during all of the library’s operating hours and we encourage you to call ahead (845-359-0136) to confirm a notary is available before you make your trip to the library.
The notary public does not offer virtual or remote notarizations. The exception is for residents of The Esplanade of Palisades who are unable to visit the library. Esplanade residents may call the library to set up an appointment for the notary to visit them at the Esplanade.
The notary public is not an attorney licensed to practice law, and may not give legal advice.
The notary public will not provide service if the person, document, or circumstances of the request raise any issue of authenticity, ambiguity, doubt or uncertainty. In such an event the notary public may, at their sole discretion, decline to provide service.
Proper ID:
Patrons must present a valid, unexpired, government issued photo ID such as a Driver’s License, a New York State Issued photo ID, United States or other national passport.
Documents the notary will not notarize:
- Last Will and Testament
- Trusts
- Powers of Attorney
- Mortgages or Loans
- Deeds
- Immigration Documents
- Apostille
- Copies of official documents such as birth certificates, drivers licenses, or passports. You must go to the issuing authority to obtain a certified copy. The notary will notarize an affidavit for a copy of an original document. See link below in the next section.
Notarial Certificate Requirement:
The notary public will not notarize any document that does not have a notarial certificate. If your document does not contain a space for the notary to sign, you must choose one of the following forms to affix to your document. The notary will not sign a document unless it contains the proper notarial information from one of the following forms. You must select the appropriate form, the notary cannot select for you.
Affidavit for copy of an original document
Foreign Language Documents:
The signer must understand the language of the document in order to consent to its contents. The Notarial Certificate must be in English. The notary and the person seeking notarization must be able to communicate directly with each other. Use of a translator is not permitted in the notary transaction.
Witnesses:
If a witness is required (in addition to notarization), patrons must be accompanied by their own witness.
Fees:
The library provides its notary service free of charge. The library does accept donations. Any money freely given to the library is considered a donation and not a fee for notary services.
Number of Documents:
The library will notarize up to 5 documents per day per individual.
The Rockland County Clerk’s Office can notarize documents:
1 South Main Street, Suite 100, New City, New York
Rockland County Clerk’s Office
Helpful information on New York State Courts and Legal Issues