Notary FAQ

A commissioned notary public who travels to the signer's location — home, office, hospital, or any other agreed-upon place — to perform notarial acts. It saves the signer a trip and is essential when the signer can't easily leave a location.

Virginia caps notarial acts at $10 per signature for in-person work and $25 per electronic notarial act. Mobile and travel fees are separate and unregulated, set by the notary based on distance, urgency, and complexity. Most general appointments run $50–$100 all-in.

A current government-issued photo ID is best — driver's license, passport, military ID, or state ID. Expired IDs are not acceptable. If the signer has no ID, Virginia allows a credible-witness ID process; ask us before your appointment.

Yes — Parascand Notary offers 24/7 emergency response for hospital, hospice, and other time-sensitive matters. Standard appointments are scheduled to fit your day.

Within 60–120 minutes for most Richmond and Charlottesville locations during the day. NoVA response averages 90 minutes. After-hours emergency response is available — calls go directly to the notary on duty.

An acknowledgment confirms the signer is who they say they are and signed willingly. The document may have been signed before the notary arrived. A jurat is for sworn statements: the signer must sign in front of the notary and swear the contents are true. The document tells you which one is required.

Yes — bedside and medical notarizations are our specialty. We serve hospitals, hospice agencies, assisted living, and nursing homes throughout Virginia, including same-day and after-hours visits.

Yes — we can arrange disinterested witnesses for an additional fee. Virginia's Advance Medical Directive and many estate documents require two disinterested witnesses (not heirs or beneficiaries) in addition to the notary's seal. This is one of our most common requests for hospital and assisted-living visits.

A signer can make a mark (an "X") in lieu of a signature, with two witnesses present, and the notary documents the circumstance in the journal. The signer must still be aware and able to indicate they understand what's being signed.

It depends on awareness. Notarization requires the signer to be oriented and signing of their own free will. If pain medication or sedation has impaired their awareness to the point they can't understand the document, we cannot proceed. We err on the side of caution and reschedule.

Bedside and medical visits start at $75 (Richmond metro daytime) and increase based on distance, urgency, time of day, and witness coordination. Multi-document appointments are quoted at a flat package rate.

Yes — as an NNA-certified loan signing agent with $100K E&O insurance and a dual-tray laser printer, we handle refinances, purchases, HELOCs, reverse mortgages, and seller packages for title companies and signing services nationwide.

Same-day, typically within hours of signing. Drop at FedEx/UPS the same day or next business morning, depending on the package's instructions.

Yes — we're verified on all major signing platforms. Direct title-company relationships are also welcome at preferred rates.

An apostille is a certificate issued by the state that authenticates a notarized document for use in a Hague-convention foreign country. If you're sending birth certificates, diplomas, or corporate records overseas, you likely need one. We hand-walk apostille requests through the Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth in Richmond.

Standard turnaround is 2–5 business days. Same-day rush is available with courier service. Embassy authentication for non-Hague countries adds additional time.

Yes — we offer Remote Online Notarization (RON), authorized in Virginia. The session happens over secure audio-video with knowledge-based identity verification and a tamper-evident e-seal. RON is recognized in all 50 states.

Generally no. Wills require physical witnesses present at the signing in most states. We'll tell you up front whether RON is appropriate for your specific document.

No. Notaries are not lawyers and cannot draft legal documents or give legal advice. You'll need an attorney to prepare the document — we handle the notarization step.

A travel/visit fee applies even if notarization can't be completed (for example, if the signer is sleeping or unable to participate). We'll work with you to reschedule and only charge what's fair. This protects against drive-out costs and is standard industry practice.

Cash, check, Venmo, Zelle, or credit/debit (Square reader on site). For corporate clients, monthly invoicing is available.