Where I travel
Lakeland and the surrounding Polk County area: Winter Haven, Bartow, Auburndale, Plant City, Lake Wales and Haines City, among others.
Home, office, coffee shop, hospital room, rehabilitation centre, assisted living facility or a parking lot if that is what works. If you are further away, a remote online session solves the same problem without anyone travelling.
When people call a mobile notary
Usually because going somewhere is the hard part:
- A relative in hospital or in a care home has to sign a power of attorney.
- A closing or a loan package has to be signed at home or at the office.
- Both parents must sign a travel consent letter and their schedules never overlap.
- A business needs several employees' signatures notarized in one visit.
- Someone has limited mobility, or no transport, or small children at home.
What to have ready
A visit goes quickly when three things are in order:
- The document, complete and unsigned. I have to witness the signature, so don't sign beforehand.
- A current, government-issued photo ID for every person signing.
- Any witnesses the document requires. I can act as notary but not as your witness, so please arrange witnesses in advance if the document needs them.
Hospitals and care facilities
These visits need a little more care and I do them often. The signer has to be awake, aware of what they are signing and able to say so, and they must sign of their own free will. If medication or illness makes that unclear on the day, the honest answer is that I cannot notarize, and I will say so rather than put the document at risk.
It also helps to check the facility's visiting rules before we set a time.
What it costs
Two parts, and no surprises: the notarial fee, which Florida law caps per notarial act, and a travel fee that depends on distance and time of day. You get the full amount before I set out, never after.
Bilingual service
I work in English and Spanish, which matters when the document is in one language and the signer is more comfortable in the other. You will be able to ask questions and understand the answers in your own language, right up to the moment you sign.
Frequently asked questions
- How soon can you come?
- Often the same day, and evenings and weekends are usually possible. Urgent hospital visits get priority whenever my schedule allows.
- Do you notarize at hospitals in Lakeland?
- Yes, including hospitals, rehabilitation centres and assisted living facilities in Lakeland and nearby towns.
- Can you bring witnesses?
- I cannot serve as both notary and witness on the same document. If your document needs witnesses, please arrange them in advance; neighbours, colleagues or adult friends who are not named in the document usually qualify.
- Can you tell me which form I need?
- No, and nobody who is not a lawyer should. I am not an attorney and cannot give legal advice or choose documents for you. Bring the document ready, and I will handle the notarization.
- What if the signer doesn't have a valid ID?
- Florida allows identification by a credible witness who knows the signer and has valid ID themselves. Tell me the situation when you book and we will plan for it.