Notary services in Palo Alto

A notary public does one narrow job: confirming who you are and witnessing your signature. In Palo Alto that need comes up more than you might expect. Renters sign guarantor forms, sellers sign grant deeds, parents sign consent forms when one parent cannot attend a child's passport appointment and the city's large international community regularly sends documents to consulates and foreign agencies. Finding a notary is easy. Knowing what to bring and what it should cost saves a second trip.

This guide covers where notaries are found locally, the fee limits set by state law, what happens at the appointment and how to get an apostille for use overseas. Fees and rules come from the California Secretary of State's 2026 Notary Public Handbook and its apostille pages. For a list of specific branches and stores, see our legal help and notaries guide.

What a notary does and does not do

California notaries are commissioned by the Secretary of State. The most common acts are:

• Acknowledgment. You confirm to the notary that you signed the document. Used for deeds, powers of attorney and many contracts.
• Jurat. You sign in front of the notary and swear or affirm that the contents are true. Used for affidavits and declarations.
• Oath or affirmation. A spoken promise to tell the truth, given to one person.
• Certified copy of a power of attorney. A notary can certify a copy of a power of attorney, one of the few copy certifications California notaries may make.

A notary does not check whether a document is legal, fair or correct. The handbook is firm that notaries may not practice law, which includes choosing or preparing legal documents or advising about them. If you are not sure which form you need, talk to a lawyer first. Our legal help guide lists free and low-cost options.

Where to find a notary in Palo Alto

Banks and credit unions

Many bank branches have a notary on staff. The service is often free or cheap for account holders. The catch is that bank notaries are frequently reserved for customers, may not be in every day and may decline some documents under bank policy. Call your branch and ask for an appointment. Our banks and credit unions guide lists which Palo Alto branches advertise a notary.

Shipping and business service stores

All three UPS Stores in Palo Alto list notary service, downtown, at Town and Country Village and in Midtown. These stores serve anyone, not just customers, which makes them the usual fallback on evenings and weekends. Notaries at these stores are not always on duty during every open hour, so call ahead. Our post offices and shipping guide has addresses.

Mobile notaries

Mobile notaries come to your home, office or a hospital room. They are useful for elderly or ill signers, for real estate closings and for busy offices. State law caps the notarial fee itself, but travel fees are separate and set by agreement. The handbook requires them to be listed separately in the notary's journal. Agree on the total in writing before the visit. Loan signing agents are mobile notaries who specialize in mortgage documents for title and escrow companies.

Other places

• Escrow and title offices notarize documents for transactions they handle. Our home selling guide walks through closing.
• Law offices often have a notary for their own clients.
• For an older relative who cannot travel, a mobile notary is usually the simplest choice. Our resources for older adults lists other help at home.

Checking a notary and filing a complaint

The Secretary of State's notary public pages offer a downloadable list of active notaries public rather than a search box, along with a form to file a complaint against a notary. A notary's seal shows their name, commission number and expiration date that you can compare against the list. If a notary overcharges, refuses to record a fee or pressures you to sign something you do not understand, you can file a complaint with the Secretary of State.

Online notarization

As of late 2026, California notaries generally must see signers in person. Online notarization services operate through notaries commissioned in other states. Whether a document notarized that way will be accepted depends on who receives it, so ask the county recorder, bank, court or foreign agency before you pay. Many recorders and foreign consulates are strict about this.

What a notary can charge

California sets maximum fees in Government Code section 8211. The 2026 Notary Public Handbook lists these limits:

Notaries may charge less than the maximum or nothing at all. The fee is per signature, not per document, so two signers on one deed means two fees. A store may add charges for printing, copying or scanning, which are separate from the notarial fee.

At the appointment

1. Bring the document unsigned. For a jurat you must sign in front of the notary. For an acknowledgment it is still safest to wait.
2. Bring valid ID. A current or recently issued government photo ID, such as a California driver's license or ID card or a U.S. passport book or passport card. Certain other IDs with a photo, description, signature and number also qualify.
3. No ID? California allows identification through credible witnesses under strict conditions. Call ahead, since some notaries will not use witnesses.
4. Sign the journal. The notary records your ID details in a journal. For deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, other real property documents and powers of attorney, the notary must take your right thumbprint.
5. Check the certificate. Make sure names are spelled correctly and the venue reads Santa Clara County if you signed in Palo Alto.

All signers must appear in person. A notary cannot notarize a signature for someone who is not present.

Apostilles for documents used abroad

Many countries require an apostille, a certificate that confirms the signature of the official or notary on a document. In California the Secretary of State issues them. Its request page sets out the basics:

• Fee. $20 per apostille. In person there is an extra $6 special handling fee for each different public official's signature being authenticated.
• Eligible documents. The document must be signed by a California public official or be an original notarized or certified document. Photocopies are not accepted.
• In person. Same-day service is offered at the Sacramento office (1500 11th Street, 3rd Floor), the Los Angeles office (300 South Spring Street) and at pop-up events the office announces. The Los Angeles office does not take cash and has posted temporary room changes, so check before you go.
• By mail. Send USPS mail to Notary Public Section, P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001. Couriers deliver to 1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor, Sacramento. Mail requests are processed in the order received. Check the Secretary of State's current processing times page.
• Verification. Anyone can check that an apostille was issued through the Secretary of State's online apostille search.

Common situations

Birth, marriage and death certificates issued by a California county are certified copies signed by public officials, so they can usually go straight to the Secretary of State. Our vital records guide explains how to order certified copies from Santa Clara County. Private documents such as a power of attorney or a school letter need to be notarized first. Documents from other states need an apostille from that state. Federal documents such as FBI background checks are handled by the U.S. Department of State, not California. Always ask the receiving country or institution exactly what it requires, including whether it wants a translation.

Frequently asked questions