The Notary Public Commission, a free service located on the 2nd floor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, is happy to help you notarize any eligible documents. Details on eligibility and the notarial process are below.
Hours of Operation
The Notary Public Commission is available on the second and third Saturday of each month 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Walk-ins only)
- Room 202-K
How To Prepare
-
Bring a valid government issued photo ID with you when you visit for notary services.
-
Be sure to bring all of the documents that need to be notarized with you.
-
Be sure the documents are complete and ready for signature.
-
The DCPL notary public is prohibited from helping you to prepare, complete, or understand legal documents.
-
-
Some documents may require signature witnesses in addition to notarization, so ensure you bring all necessary parties. The DCPL notary public does not provide any required witnesses for signatures.
-
The Notary Public Commission out of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library is service provided free of charge.
Notarial Acts
Eligible Items for Notarial Acts
The list below is not all inclusive but provides examples of items that are eligible for notarial acts.
• Original or copies of diplomas or GEDs from any primary or higher education institution except from the District of Columbia Public Schools or the University of the District of Columbia (UDC); original or copies of diplomas from District of Columbia Public Charter Schools. (This includes any transcripts or documents issued by a school, university, college, or other educational institution regardless of where it is located)
• Copies of any passports.
• Copies of any driver's licenses, including those issued from the District of Columbia.
• Copies of many federal documents such as FBI background checks and fingerprints. In general, any federal document that does not say on its face it cannot be notarized, may be copied and notarized. EXCEPT, notarization of naturalization or immigration documents, whether originals or copies.
• A Power of Attorney (POA) is a legal document that grants specific rights to another individual to act on your behalf as an agent. The individual GRANTING the power of attorney is the person appearing before the notary to complete the notarial act.
- For example, if Mark Smith is granting the Power of Attorney, then the signature of Mark Smith must be notarized
• Annual renewals of non-profit (501.c.3) forms.
• Mortgage documents, lending agreements, transfer of deeds and other items regarding real estate.
Ineligible Items for Notarial Acts
• Birth certificates.
• Death certificates.
• Marriage certificates.
• Divorce decrees.
• Documents issued by Departments or Agencies of the District of Columbia whether original or copies. These are documents that have the signature of the Agency or Department Director. If the document is, for example, simply an application with the logo, it is acceptable to notarize. Except as noted above you may notarize a copy of a DC driver's license. Diplomas from the DC Public Schools or UDC may not be notarized.
• Some federal documents (ex: original passports, Naturalization, Immigration, any original forms, I-9 forms).
• Determinations of the original set-up for non-profit [501 (c)(3)] forms
• Documents that are blank or incomplete.
The DCPL notary may refuse to notarize a document or perform any notarial act for a legitimate reason. If the identification presented appears invalid, the individual isn't competent to participate in the notarial act or isn't there voluntarily, if the notary is prohibited by law from doing so, or other legitimate reasons.
The DCPL notary public is prohibited from helping you to prepare, complete, or understand legal documents.
