Notary Services

View PDF of Notary Services Policy and information.

Manlius Library offers free notary services most days of the week.  While we have multiple notaries on staff, schedules vary.  Call 315-682-6400 to confirm availability during the hours that we are open.  

Please bring your photo ID.

We are unable to notarize wills or certify official copies of Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates. Contact the County Clerk at 315-435-2227 for wills notarized.

Purpose & Commitment
Manlius Library offers limited free notary services as part of our commitment to our service area. This
policy outlines our guidelines and procedure, in accordance with New York State Law and the library’s
liability insurance guidelines. Our notaries hold a valid NYS license and are required to follow all NYS
Laws governing notary services. The library is committed to paying the cost of training for library staff to
become a notary public and to maintain the staff person’s license.

Schedule and Availability
Manlius Library offers limited free notary services Monday through Thursday from 9am through 4:30pm,
and Friday from 10am through 4:30pm. Manlius Library notaries will not do notaries after 4:30pm to
ensure timely completion of the service. Limited notary services are available on certain evenings and
weekends; please call for availability. Due to staff scheduling, walk in notary services are not
guaranteed, therefore appointments are recommended.

Fee
Manlius Library does not charge for a notarization but will accept a donation if one is made.

Signature Limit per Day
Patrons are required to look through their document(s) and determine how many notary signatures are
required in total. If more than five are required, an appointment must be made.

Impermissible Documents
Notaries at Manlius Library are within their legal right to refuse to notarize certain documents. These
include, but are not limited to:

  • Wills and adjacent documents such as codicils and living wills
  • Certified copies of vital documents (birth, marriage, death)
  • Electronic I-9 forms
  • Any documents requiring Apostille authentication
  • Documents that are incomplete or blank
  • Documents with electronic signatures
  • Electronic documents

Refusal to Notarize
Notaries will not provide the service if the patron, document, or circumstances of the request raise any
issue of authenticity, ambiguity, doubt, or uncertainty for the notary. Manlius Library notaries have the
discretion to refuse services if the signer appears unwilling or unable to sign the document, and/or does
not provide proper identification.

Notarial Wording
Notarial Wording has to be present for a document to be notarized. If there is no notarial wording, then
the patron must choose one of the following certificates to be attached to the document: Jurat or
Acknowledgement.

Translation and Foreign Language Documents
Notaries at Manlius Library cannot speak to the patron requiring a notary through a translator, the
notary must be able to communicate with the patron directly. Additionally, Manlius Library notaries are
only able to notarize a document in a foreign language if the notarial language is in English, and the
patron requiring a notary can understand the wording in that section without the use of a translator.

Witnesses
The Library will not provide witnesses, and witnesses may not be solicited from other staff members or
patrons using the library. In order to serve as a witness, the witness must personally know the person
requiring a notary and must be in possession of valid and current photo ID. If the document so
designates, the notary can occasionally also serve as a witness for the document, but this must be
explicit in the document’s instructions. If the patron does not bring a witness when required, the notary
will ask them to return at another time with one.

What to Bring
Patrons requiring a notary must bring the following to the library for the notary to take place:

  • The completed but unsigned document. Manlius Library notaries cannot notarize
    documents that have already been signed. The document must otherwise be completed
    and in order, and the full document must be present for the notarizing;
  • All the people who will sign the document, including the necessary number of
    witnesses; and
  • All signatories must bring a current photo ID. Manlius Library notaries cannot accept
    expired ID, ID without a photo that resembles the patron requiring the notary, and nongovernment forms of ID including membership cards.

Disclaimer
While many legal documents must be notarized, having something notarized does not make somethi
legal. Our notaries are there to verify the identities of those involved and witness that they are signing
the document willingly. A notary public is not an attorney and therefore cannot provide legal advice,
cannot make something legal, and cannot ensure the truthfulness of a document. If you need legal
advice, please consult a certified attorney.

Liability and Insurance
The notary is covered under the library’s insurance while performing official notary duties. However, the
library is not responsible for any issues arising from the content of documents or from the actions of the signer. The library is not liable for any errors or omissions in the notarized documents or for any
consequences resulting from the notarization of invalid or fraudulent documents.

Other Locations that Provide Notary Services (call for availability and possible cost):

Village of Manlius Clerk’s Office
315-682-9171

Onondaga County Clerk
315-435-2227

Community Library of Dewitt & Jamesville
315-446-3578

Fayetteville Free Library
315-637-6374 (appt. only)

Town of Manlius Police Department
315-682-2212

The UPS Store in Manlius
315-682-4999