Notary Public

Notary service is provided free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. The Library has several notaries on staff with varying availability during all operational hours. Walk-ins are accepted, but availability is not guaranteed. We strongly encourage patrons to confirm availability and make an appointment by calling 708-598-8446. 

General Guidelines

• Notaries are regulated by Illinois law. Notary staff will not notarize documents that do not follow such laws and regulations. Notaries will not prepare or complete documents for patrons, nor can they provide legal advice on any matters. 
• In accordance with Illinois notarial law, the notary may ask the patron to sign their notary public record book. Service will not be provided for patrons who decline to sign the record book.
• In accordance with Illinois notarial law, notaries will not provide service if the patron’s document or circumstances of the request for notary service raise any issues of authenticity, ambiguity, doubt, or uncertainty for the Library. In this event, the Library notary may, at their sole discretion, decline to provide notary service. 
• Library notaries are not permitted to communicate with a notary service customer through a translator. 

To Have a Document Notarized

• Bring current, unexpired photo identification with a signature, issued by a U.S. state or federal agency.
• The document should not be signed or dated ahead of time; it must be signed in the presence of the notary. 
• If witnesses are required in addition to a notary, patrons must provide their own witnesses. The Library cannot provide witnesses, and witnesses may not be solicited from other patrons or staff in the Library. 
• All blank spaces, with the exception of the signature, should be filled in prior to arriving for notarization. Notaries may not notarize a document with any blank spaces. 
• If there is more than one signer to the document, all signers must be at the same appointment and present proper identification.  

Notary Staff are Unable to Notarize

• Real estate transactions 
• Visa and immigration paperwork 
• Documents from foreign governments 
• Vital records, including birth, death, marriage, or divorce certificates, and citizenship or naturalization certificates 
• Military IDs 
• Certified copies of identification 
• I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification forms