Many important legal documents require the signature of a notary public. However, the signature or stamp of a notary does not make the document legal.

A notary public acts as an official and unbiased witness to the identity of a person who comes to them for a specific purpose. In order to check the authenticity of the signature, which appears on a document, the notary may ask to see photo identification, such as a driver's license, before notarizing documents. Notaries do not read the documents that they sign to see if the information in them is legally correct. The fact that a document is notarized does not relate in any way to the statements made in the document or the accuracy of the contents of the document. The notary only authenticates the signature of the person seeking notarization of his/her signature – nothing more.

Note: This information was prepared as a public service by the Illinois State Bar Association and is a joint project with the Illinois Press Association. Its purpose is to inform citizens of their legal rights and obligations.