notary publics

A notary public is a person appointed by a state agency to witness the signing of documents, such as property deeds in which one person sells a piece of property to another. For more on what a notary does, see the National Notary Association's What is a Notary Public?

A notary keeps a journal of documents that are notarized. The journal has a line item on each transaction that includes a general description of the document being signed, the date it was notarized and the signatures of the parties to the transaction.

In California, notary publics are appointed by the California Secretary of State's Notary Public Section.

If a member of the public requests a copy of a transaction listed in a notary public's journal, California law requires the notary to supply a photocopy of the line item in the journal within 15 business days.

The request must be made in writing and specify the names of the parties, the type of document and the month and year in which it was notarized. The notary can charge up to 30 cents per page for a copy.