How to find a Notary for an I-9 Form

You thought this would be easy.  You have a new job, hired to work remotely, and you are excited.  Your new employer has emailed you the on boarding documents that included an I-9 Form and maybe… hopefully some instructions on how to get the I9 completed.  They have told you to locate a notary to get the form completed, maybe even notarized.

If you are unsure why you need to compete an  Form I-9 click here  for more information.

What they did not tell you is that this is not easy, in fact, it can be down right frustrating.

First thing you should understand is that you are not alone, this is not personal.  There are challenges that employees and employers face when locating a notary that is willing and able to complete an I-9 with a remote hire.

Most Notary Public’s have never completed an I9 before.  So it seems normal that they would feel uncomfortable with the process.  Add that feeling of discomfort to rule number one for Notaries; if you do not feel comfortable with Notarizing the documents, then don’t, and they wont.

So you say something along the lines of “but the document does not need to be notarized,” leading the Notary to question why you would be asking for them to assist you in the first place.  Which leads them back to rule one and you’re still searching, counting the phone calls and miles driven.

But your in luck because you found this article, and we can not only help you to find a Notary, but also provide you with a few tips to make the process easy and compliant.

Quick tip number one. 

If you are going to walk in and visit with a Notary, say at your local mail box store, call ahead of time and make sure the Notary will be working on the day and time you are planning on coming in.  Go the extra mile and ask to speak with them if they happen to be in when you call.  Ask them if they would be willing to assist you with completing an I-9 Form, follow up the question and ask if they have any experience with completing the form.

Quick tip 2

Use a listing service like NotaryRotary.com to locate a Notary is your area rather than Google.  These listing services are easy to use.  Enter in a zip code and a list of Notaries that service the area will be displayed.  You should know that most of the folks that you find on the site offer a mobile notary service.  You should expect to pay a higher fee than a typical walk-in service.  Rates of $25 – $50 are common and fair.

Quick tip 3

Only complete section 1 of the I-9 Form before meeting with the Notary.  Never complete section 2.  It is the responsibility of the Notary to complete section 2 of the I9.  Go the extra mile on this one and only bring with you the ID(s) that you will use to prove your ability to legally work in the US.

Being that most notaries will not have experience in completing the I-9 correctly your best bet is to review the list of acceptable documents available here, and then show the notary either the List A document, or the List B and C documents that are required so the form can be completed correctly.  It is never a good idea to put a bunch of IDs on the table and have the notary figure it out.

Again you are not alone in this, but we hope these quick tips can help make finding a notary a bit easier on you.

Quick tip for business. 

Call N3 Notary at 800.455.1146  We are experts in making the I-9 verification process for remote hires, quick simple and compliant.