If a document is in a foreign language, we can only witness your signature on it. Our stamps indicating we witnessed your signature will be in English, so please check with the recipient of your document to be sure this will satisfy their requirements.

An Apostille is a service that countries who are party to the Hague convention provide. Canada is not party to the Hague convention. In Canada, the process is called Legalization and Authentication and is a three step process. The first step is to have your documents notarized, and we can help with that step. You will then have to take your documents to Official Document Services or Global Affairs Canada to be authenticated, then to the embassy or consulate of the country where they will be sent to have them legalized. Walk-In Notary only does the first step, notarization. We do not assist with the remainder of the process.

We provide an electronic copy of your document for a small additional fee. As we do not act as intermediaries, we will send you an email with your documents attached to forward on and you are welcome to wait in our waiting area until they have given the okay on your documents. If you require additional assistance, please be patient if we have other clients we are assisting.

We work with you, our client, and do not work directly with other people in other provinces or countries. We ask that all documents and instructions be sent to you, and by you, as we do not act as intermediaries.

We certainly notarize Wills, however, there are different scenarios depending on your situation. If it is your own Will, we can notarize the signature of yourself and your witnesses or notarize an Affidavit of Execution of one of your witnesses. If you have a Will that was previously signed, either by yourself or that belongs to someone else, we can create a certified copy of the Will. Please read more about wills on our Wills and POAs page.

A certified copy, also called a true copy or a notarized copy, is a copy of an original document where the Notary Public examines the original document, makes a photocopy and stamps it as a certified copy. A document must have original marks such as a seal or signature for a certified copy to be made. Once a certified copy is made, it is considered an original document.

To create certified copies, the owner of the document does not have to be in attendance. You can bring someone else’s documents in to have certified copies created. You will have to bring a piece of valid photo identification for yourself.

You are welcome to copy or scan your notarized documents as you wish. Please note that any scanned or copied document is not an original document, and the recipient of your document may specifically want the original document. Please check with them to be certain of what they will accept or what they need. To keep a copy for your own records, we can provide a scanned copy for a small fee or you are welcome to scan or copy your own.

At Walk-In Notary, we only offer drafting services on a very limited basis for simple letters or declarations, such as invitation letters, consent to travel, OSAP income or marital status, etc. We do draft RIN letters.

Generally speaking, witnesses must be over 18 years of age and not named within the document. Beyond that, please check with the recipient of your document to be certain who acceptable witnesses are.