Documents we notarize → Real Estate Documents
Real Estate Document Notarization in Your Area
Grant deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, title transfers and seller packages — notarized correctly the first time, so the county records them without a rejection.
What you need to know
Property paperwork has no margin for error
A deed is one of the few documents where a small mistake has a public, permanent consequence. The county recorder either accepts it or sends it back, and a rejected deed can hold up a sale, a refinance or an estate for weeks.
Most rejections come down to the same handful of things: a name that does not match how title is currently held, a missing legal description, a blank left for later, or a notarial certificate filled in incorrectly. The last one is ours to get right, and we do.
Grant deeds and warranty deeds
Transferring ownership with a warranty of title. The standard instrument in most sales.
Quitclaim deeds
Adding or removing a name — divorce, marriage, a family transfer or moving property into a trust.
Deeds of trust and mortgages
The security instrument in a purchase or refinance. Always notarized, always recorded.
Seller packages
The notarized portion of a closing package, coordinated with your escrow or title officer.
Deeds into and out of trust
Funding a living trust with real property, or transferring it back out. See trust documents.
Affidavits of death and lien releases
Clearing title after a death, or releasing a paid-off lien so the record reflects it.
Legal requirements
Why a deed must be notarized
County recorders will not accept a deed without a notarial certificate. That is not a preference — it is the mechanism that makes the public record trustworthy, because it establishes that the person who signed away the property is the person who owned it.
- Every signature transferring or encumbering real property needs notarization to be recorded
- The notarial wording must match the state where the property is being recorded
- The signer’s name on the deed should match the name on their ID and on current title
- Every owner on title signs, including a spouse who is on title but not on the loan
- Recording is a separate step, handled by you, your escrow officer or the title company
One point that surprises people: notarization happens where the signer is, not where the property is. We can notarize a deed here for a property in another state, as long as the document’s certificate wording is acceptable to that state’s recorder.
Before we arrive
What to have ready
Have ready
- Valid government-issued photo ID for every person signing
- The complete deed, unsigned, including the legal description and parcel number
- Names spelled exactly as they appear on current title
- Every owner on title present, or a recorded power of attorney covering the absent one
- Contact details for your escrow or title officer if one is involved
Common mistakes
- Signing before the notary arrives
- A deed with the legal description left blank or attached as a note to fill in later
- Using a nickname or maiden name that does not match title or ID
- Forgetting a co-owner who must also sign
- Assuming we file the deed — recording is a separate step and a separate fee
We notarize signatures on deeds. We do not prepare deeds, choose the type of deed, or advise on tax or title consequences. Use an attorney, title company or escrow officer for that.
Real estate questions
Frequently asked
Do you record the deed for me?
No. We notarize the signature; recording is done at the county recorder’s office, usually by you, your escrow officer or the title company. Ask us and we will tell you which office covers the property.
Can you notarize a deed for property in another state?
Yes. The notarization takes place where the signer is standing, not where the land sits. What matters is that the notarial certificate on the document is acceptable to the recording state — check that with whoever prepared the deed.
Can you prepare or fill in the deed?
No. Filling in a legal document for someone is the practice of law, and a notary who does it is exposing you and themselves. Bring the deed complete.
My spouse is out of town. Can I sign for both of us?
Only with a power of attorney that specifically covers the transaction, and the recorder may require that POA to be recorded alongside the deed. Otherwise every owner on title signs in person. See Power of Attorney.
Do you work with escrow and title companies?
Yes, routinely — including full loan packages. See loan signings for closing appointments.
Related services
Our notaries are not attorneys. We cannot give legal advice, or help you choose, prepare or complete a document.
Deed ready to sign?
We come to your home, office or escrow appointment anywhere in Your Area, and we know what a recorder will and will not accept.