Notary Services
Notarize documents at PPL!
Effective, Monday, July 15, 2024, Providence Public Library will offer notary services for a nominal fee ($5.00 initial charge; in excess of 10 pages, an additional charge of $5.00 per 5 pages to a maximum of 20 pages) — by appointment or walk-in. Please call to confirm a notary is available at 455-8000. Notary services begin at 10 am, except on Thursdays, when the Library opens at 1 pm. We can perform acknowledgments, oaths and affirmations, jurats, and signature witnessing. We do not perform copy certifications.
What you need to bring:
- VALID form of government issued photo ID
- The completed but unsigned document to be notarized
- All document signers and their valid government issued photo IDs must be present
- All necessary witnesses must be present
The notaries on staff are not qualified attorneys and are strictly prohibited from giving legal advice.
The notaries will not provide service if a customer, document, or circumstance of the request for notary service raises any issue of authenticity, ambiguity, doubt, or uncertainty for the Library. In this event, the Library notary may, at his or her sole discretion, decline to provide notary service.
For questions or to schedule an appointment:
Phone: 401-455-8000
Email: info@provlib.org
Please call first to confirm Notary availability.
Acknowledgments
The purpose of an acknowledgment is to ensure that the signer of a document is who they claim to be and has voluntarily signed the document. Acknowledgments often are needed for documents concerning valuable assets, such as deeds, mortgages and deeds of trust.
To perform an acknowledgment, the signer must personally appear before the notary at the time of notarization to be positively identified and to declare — or "acknowledge" — that the signature on the document is their own and that they signed willingly.
Jurats
The purpose of a jurat is for a signer to swear or affirm that the contents of a document are true. Depending on the jurisdiction, it also can be known as an affidavit or a verification on oath or affirmation.
Oaths/Affirmations
An oath is a solemn pledge to a Supreme Being. An affirmation is a solemn pledge on the individual's personal honor. The choice should be made by the signer.
Signature Witnessing
The main difference between a signature witnessing and an acknowledgment is that the notary witnesses the document being signed. The main difference between a signature witnessing and a jurat, affidavit, or verification upon oath or affirmation is that, with a signature witnessing, the notary does not administer an oath.