Notary
A state-licensed official who witnesses signatures and confirms the signer's identity. Most closing documents need to be notarized before they can be recorded.
Your Room opens on going under contract and closing, with the offer and everything before it already ticked.
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See how it worksWhere this comes up: closing
Part 1 of 4
Why a seller cares
The deed is not recordable until a notary has watched you sign it. That is why closing needs your photo ID, and why a seller who cannot be at closing arranges a notary wherever they are.
Part 2 of 4
A simple example
You are out of state on closing day. The title company sends the deed to a mobile notary near you, who watches you sign and sends it back overnight.
| Where you are | How the notarizing happens |
|---|---|
| At the closing table | The closer is usually a notary |
| Out of town | A mobile notary, or a notary at a bank or shipping store |
| Overseas | A U.S. consulate, or a remote online notary where the state allows one |
Somebody has to watch you sign. Where that happens is flexible; that it happens is not.
Part 3 of 4
What people get wrong
That a notary checks the document. They check that you are you and that you signed; what the document says is not their job.
Part 4 of 4 · where to read next
Where it appears in the sale
What a definition is, and what it isn't
Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.
Written and researched by Keighbor Research · drawn from the reference glossary · how we research and check what we publish
In your Room, this word explains itself where it appears.
Your Room defines notary in the step you meet it in, beside the document or the date it belongs to. Free to set up, with an agent or on your own.
Organize my saleFree to set up. Pay once when you list: $89 or $189. 7-day refund.