Does This Document Need a Notary? Check by State

How it works. Pick the document and the state. The answer comes first (yes, no, or only in some cases), then the official source and its wording, what else the signing needs, and the quickest way to get it done: online by video with our New Jersey notary, a mobile notary visit, or the matching kit.

Find the answer

Pick both a document and a state from the lists.

Answers by document

Car title (signing it over)

On the agencies' own pages, 9 states require the seller's signature on the title to be notarized and 6 say it isn't needed. The rest don't state it on the pages we could open.

Vehicle bill of sale

Few agency pages say whether a bill of sale is notarized: 7 do, and most of those only in some cases, such as when the price isn't written on the title.

Power of attorney (financial)

26 jurisdictions require a notary for a financial power of attorney on the pages we read; others accept witnesses instead, or make the notary a strong recommendation rather than a condition.

Medical power of attorney or health care proxy

Health care documents are usually signed before witnesses, a notary, or either. 31 states have a confirmed rule.

Answered in the finder above, state by state, and on each power of attorney answer page.

Will

A will is made valid by its signature and witnesses on the pages we read, with a notary used for the self-proving affidavit. Louisiana's notarial testament needs a notary and two witnesses; North Dakota lets a notary stand in for the witnesses.

Small estate affidavit

22 states' official pages say the affidavit is signed before a notary; a few use a sworn court petition or a statement under penalty of false statement instead.

A document going abroad (apostille)

For a document a person signs, such as a power of attorney or an affidavit, the office apostilles the notary's signature, so the document is notarized first. Pick a state to see what its office says.

Answered in the finder above, state by state.

How we answer

Every rule here was read on an official page: a state legislature's statute site, a court's self-help page, a motor vehicle agency or a state office. Where those pages don't say, the answer says "Not confirmed" and names the office to ask. A blank is never filled with a guess.

Kits for the paperwork around it

Power of Attorney Signing Kit ($12)
Will Signing Day Kit ($12)
Small Estate Affidavit Organizer ($14)
Private Vehicle Sale Paperwork Kit ($12)
Apostille Request Organizer ($12)

We are not lawyers, and this is general information, not legal advice. Checked November 2026 on the official pages each answer lists. Rules change, and whoever receives the document decides what it accepts; we can't guarantee acceptance. A notary checks identity and watches the signing; a notary doesn't draft the document or say what it should contain.

Common questions

Which documents need a notary?

It depends on the document and the state. A financial power of attorney usually does; a will usually doesn't, except for the self-proving affidavit; a car title does in a minority of states. Pick the document and state above for the rule with its official source.

Where do these answers come from?

From state statute sites, court self-help pages and motor vehicle agencies, the same official pages behind our state-by-state tables. Each answer links its sources and says which facts weren't confirmed.

Why does an answer say 'Not confirmed'?

Because no official page we opened stated the rule. We don't fill a gap with a guess, and we don't read a rule into a page that simply doesn't mention a notary. The answer names the office to ask instead.

Can you notarize my document online from another state?

Often, yes. Our New Jersey notary works by video, 7 AM to 9 PM Eastern, seven days a week, by appointment, and New Jersey law allows remote notarization for a signer located in another state. Wills and paper car titles are the exceptions: plan those in person.

Which state's rules apply?

Usually the state whose law the document is made under: where the person signing lives, where the car is titled, or where the estate is handled. If two states are involved, ask the office receiving the document or a lawyer.

Does this document need a notary?