Notary Public

What is a Notary Public?

According to the National Notary Association, "A Notary Public is an official of integrity appointed by the state government to serve the public as an impartial witness in performing a variety of official fraud-deterrent acts related to the signing of important documents."   Notaries screen the signers of important documents, verifying their identity, willingness to sign without duress or intimidation, and their awareness of the contents of the documents they are signing.  A Notary will ask to see a current ID that has a photo, physical description, and signature.  Acceptable IDs usually include a driver's license or passport.

Finding a Notary Public

Notary publics are public servants who perform public duties such as serving as an impartial witness to the signing of important documents. There are more than 100,000 notaries public in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Some common places to look for a notary are:

• City and town halls
• Courts
• Banks
• Law offices
• Insurance companies
• Drug stores and pharmacies

If you would like contact information for a specific notary public, call the Public Records Division in the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office at (617) 727-2836 and request that information.

Campus Notary Public

Emerson College has staff members who have chosen to be a Notary Public.  If you need a Notary, please contact an individual directly for an appointment. Please note, that this service is in addition to their fulltime job and availability may be limited.

List of Boston Campus Notaries 

To have a name added or removed from this list, please submit a ticket to HR.