Q. What forms of payment do you accept?
A. I accept cash, debit, Cash App, Zelle, PayPal, and all major credit cards (including AMEX). I do not accept personal checks.

Q. What forms of I.D. can you accept?
A. We accept any original government-issued I.D. and a few others. (U.S. issued Driver’s License, State Issued I.D., Passport, and TWIC Card)

Q. Can I bring a document signed by another person to be notarized?
A. No. The person who is signing the document must appear before and sign the document in the presence of the Notary after presenting a valid form of identification.

Q. My document requires witnesses. Do I need to bring two people in with me?
A. It's recommended that witnesses are secured prior to arrival. I on occasion can provide you with witnesses in office. (call ahead to inquire about securing witnesses).

Q. Do you notarize Wills prepared by Legal Zoom or another notary?
A. Yes! I do notarize wills prepared by a third party, however the fee remains the same. Ask for more information.

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General Terms

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General Notarizations
There are many documents that require notarization. Affidavits, Titles, Powers of Attorney, Licensing forms, and Lien Waivers are just a few of the various documents that must often be signed in front of a Notary. 

 

Durable power of attorney

This form allows for a person to have unlimited and unrestricted power to handle your financial decisions. The decisions and actions made on your behalf can be anything from picking up mail to selling a home, as long as the decision is in your best interest it is legal. The form is durable which means that it remains valid if you should become incapacitated. If you are seeking a form to no longer be available for use upon incapacitation the General Form should be completed.

General Power of Attorney (Procuration by Mandate)
Making a General Power of Attorney gives authority to another person (your “Agent”) to act in your behalf. These powers include handling financial affairs, business matters, making gifts, hiring professional assistance, and more. A General Power of Attorney is a great tool if you will be traveling and need someone to handle certain matters, or in the event you are physically or mentally incapable of managing your own affairs or making medical decisions.

Limited Power of Attorney
You can specify which powers an Agent may exercise by making a Limited Power of Attorney. This is useful when one cannot be present to handle affairs due to other commitments. Selling or donating automobiles, transferring property, and paying bills, are just a few of the common powers specified in a Limited Power of Attorney.

Provisional Custody by Mandate
Provisional Custody by Mandate is a Louisiana instrument that allows parents of a minor child to authorize another person to provide for the care, custody and control of that minor.
Provisional Custody is used when a minor child will be spending an extended period of time with someone who is not his/her parent or legal guardian. The "Custodian" usually has the power to enroll the child in school, discipline the child, authorize medical care for the child, and perform any other acts necessary for the well-being of the child. The authority can be granted for a period of no greater than one year.
*Provisional Custody is different from full Legal Custody and Adoption, both of which are usually permanent and require a court proceeding.

Simple Wills
If you need a Simple Will, Chad Populis Notary is a fast and inexpensive alternative to a lawyer or online self-help service like Legal Zoom. My Notarial Testaments meet Louisiana’s required form and are drafted in accordance with Louisiana State Law. If you know how to sign your name, if you can read, and are physically able to do both, then we can help.

Affidavits
An Affidavit is a statement of facts which is sworn to (or affirmed) before an officer who has authority to administer an oath (i.e. Notary Public). Common types of Affidavits in Louisiana are Affidavits of Residency, Affidavits of Heirship, and Affidavits of Error. Chad Populis Notary can usually customize an Affidavit to meet your needs. The idea behind notarized affidavits is to certify claims legally. Throughout life there are many occasions when people need legal documents to support claims. The documents contain facts and info which become a legal force once an official notary signs them. This is in essence is an notarized affidavit.
These documents contain facts and information you believe to be true when you sign. 

Certified / True Copies
Notaries are frequently asked to make a "Certified" or "Attested" copy of an original document. Please note that when a Notary makes an "Attested" copy of a document, he/she is not guaranteeing the authenticity of the Original Document, its contents, or its effects. The Notary is simply stating that the document photocopy is a "True" and complete copy of the original document that was presented. Bring us your Original Passport, Driver's License, College Degree or other Original Document and we will make a "Certified True Copy" (You must present the original document to the Notary.)

Unlimited Notary Contracts
We offer an Unlimited Notary Contract for contractors or organizations requiring frequent Notary services. Pay one low annual fee and receive unlimited (non-title) notarizations for any employee of your company or any subcontractor working on one of your jobs. Pricing based on volume and new contracts are prorated quarterly. Contact me for details!

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Bill of Sale
A bill of sale is a document which makes a transaction between a seller and a buyer legally official. The actual document contains:
Name, address, and signature of the former owner, Name and address of the new owner, Product Information, Sales date, and a signature of a licensed notary.
We will provide the document, and official notary stamp for proof of the transaction. Just come ready with two witnesses and the proper details about the transaction to speed up the process.
 

Act of Donation
When providing an Act of Donation both the donee (receiver) and donor (giver) receive original copies for their records. You do not need to be related to make a donation!
To perform an act of donation all you need is a simple form listing the donor and donee along with basic information about the donation. The form will then be signed by both parties and two witnesses.  After this transaction, the notary officiates your document.

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FOR YOUR INFORMATION

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Notarization does not guarantee that the information on a document is accurate or legal. The signer is responsible for the content of the document. The Notary Public certifies the signer’s identity. The notary will certify a signer’s identity by checking a valid identifying document containing a photo, physical description, and signature. Government issued photo IDs, such as driver’s licenses, state ID cards, passports, U.S. military IDs, and inmate IDs are sufficient for certification. Social Security cards, birth certificates, credit cards, immigration cards, and temporary driver’s licenses are not suitable for identification.

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 If a signer does not have a valid photo ID (valid driver’s license, military ID, State-issued ID), then he or she will need two people present who will swear to his or her identity in order to be certified. The oath of a certifying witness is satisfactory evidence for certification.

In order for a Louisiana notary to issue acknowledgement, it is not necessary for the document to be signed in his or her presence. However, the signer must still appear before the notary at the time of the acknowledgement to swear he or she freely signed for the purposes stated in the document under his or her own will. Some services require the document actually be signed in the notary’s presence., such as jurats. A jurat requires the wording “subscribed and sworn to” on the document just above where the Notary Public signs his or her name.

People who cannot sign their name due to illiteracy or disability can use a mark as a signature as long as a notary and two other impartial witnesses are present. A document can be notarized when the signer is hospitalized or in a care home facility, but the notary must make every effort to ensure that the signer is not incapacitated and that they understand what they are signing.

Not every document can be notarized. For one to be notarized, it must contain: (1) language committing the signer in some way; (2) an original signature from the document signer; (3) a notarial certificate, which can appear in the document itself or in an attachment.
Notarization is required for some legal documents, such as real estate deeds, certain affidavits, and others that are not binding without notarization.

A Louisiana notary cannot certify a copy of a birth or death certificate. Should you need a copy for someone who was born in the U.S., you should contact the State Bureau of Vital Statistics or the parish Clerk’s office in the parish where the person was born. For foreign birth certificates, you should contact the consulate of the country in which the person was born.

 A Louisiana notary public cannot prepare or file another person’s immigration papers unless he or she is an attorney or an “accredited representative” approved by the U.S. Department of Justice. Some clerical work on the documents can be done by non-attorneys, but the law suggests it’s is best to have an attorney help with that.

Notaries in Louisiana cannot certify a copy of a passport or driver’s license.

A notary can draft legal documents but cannot give legal advice.

A notary in Louisiana can list two signers on one notarial certificate as long as they appear before him or her at the same time.

 Faxes and photocopies can be notarized, but only when the document bears an original signature.

 Undated documents can be notarized. If the document has a space for a date, it should either be filled in or marked through. If the document does not have a space for a date, it is permissible for the signer to date it next to his or her signature or mark. State law is very clear that “back dating” is illegal.

 Louisiana notaries should refuse service when they suspect fraud or are uncertain of a signer’s identity, willingness, or competence. Notaries should never refuse service on the basis of race, religion, nationality, lifestyle, or because the signer is not a client.