Notarization involves certification of copies of documents, certification of original documents, or the in-person or virtual witnessing of a signature.

Notarizing and commissioning are often used interchangeably.

A notary cannot tell their client which functions need to be performed.

True copies of physical documents cannot be notarized remotely.

By law, a true copy of a physical document (for example, identical copies of a passport or driver’s license) must be notarized in-person.

If a document is digital-only (for example, a digital paystub, bill, email or any document that was created online and exists only online), an identical digital copy can be notarized remotely.

Some institutions will not accept documents commissioned remotely.

A notary cannot legally advise their client on the acceptability of a remotely commissioned document.

McLeod Paralegal provides in-person notarizing and commissioning services in Hamilton, Ontario.

Some documents, including true copies of physical documents, cannot be notarized remotely.

If you are unsure if your remotely commissioned document will be accepted, please contact your institution to determine the policy that applies to you.

Please see How Remote Commissioning Works.

McLeod Paralegal accepts Interac e-Transfer for online payments and cash for in-person payments.

Please see How Remote Commissioning Works and Pricing for payment particulars.

1. Your documents are important. Make sure you understand them. A notary cannot offer legal advice or explain a document to you.
2. Determine where on each document the notary’s signature is required.
3. Fill out and complete the documents to be notarized. Do not sign or date any documents. Signing and dating must be visible to the notary.
4. Ensure your documents and ID are available to you when your appointment begins.

If both sides of a single document have been photocopied onto separate pages, both pages must be notarized separately.

Both sides of many small documents can be photocopied onto a single page, requiring only one notarization.

A multi-page document generally requires only one notarization.

If you are unsure if one notarization is sufficient for your multi-page document, please contact your institution to determine the policy that applies to you.

If separate documents are photocopied onto one page, each document on the page must be notarized separately.

Witnesses can join you in-person or virtually in a remote appointment.

A notary cannot legally tell a client if a witness is required or how many witnesses are required.

Ontario’s Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act, R.S.O 1990, c. C.17 regulates Ontario commissioners.

The Act permits remote commissioning under O. Reg. 431/20.

Ontario’s Notaries Act, R.S.O 1990, c. N.6 regulates Canadian notaries public in Ontario.

McLeod Paralegal operates in accordance with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General’s Guide for Newly Appointed Commissioners for Taking Affidavits and the Law Society of Ontario’s Best Practices for Remote Commissioning and Remote Commissioning Checklist.

For more information on remote commissioning, refer to the Law Society of Ontario’s remote commissioning information page or contact McLeod Paralegal.

McLeod Paralegal can mail you a physical copy of your document with a wet-ink signature and a physical sticker seal. A document sent this way is considered to be commissioned remotely.

Postage is charged separately.

McLeod Paralegal does not record the audio or video detail of any appointment. The notary will document all appointments manually.