KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Your visit.
Your checklist.
Review the essentials before making an appointment. Confirm any additional requirements with the document’s issuer or recipient.
Eligible certified copies
Zachary compares an eligible copy with the original for completeness and accuracy. Some public records need certified copies from the issuing authority. Acceptance by the receiving organization must be checked.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE A TIME
What to bring: Eligible certified copies
A practical checklist for this request. The document’s issuer or recipient may require additional items; confirm their instructions before the visit.
1. Your identification
Each signer should bring an original passport, driver’s license or government-issued nondriver ID that is current or expired no more than three years before the appointment. Other government ID with a photo or signature may be acceptable to the notary. Zachary may request additional identification.
No ID, an older expiration date or a name difference? Call before booking so Zachary can review lawful alternatives. A document witness is not automatically an identity witness. Do not upload ID photos or numbers.
2. Your documents
- The original record to be compared, plus the copy you need certified.
- The recipient’s instructions identifying which record and certification it accepts.
3. Check before the visit
- Confirm eligibility first. Birth, death, marriage and other public-record certified copies may need to come from the issuing office.
- A photo or scan alone may not provide the original needed for comparison. Ask before scheduling.
- Have every person whose signature will be notarized attend with their own ID. Bring any separate witnesses required for this document.
- Zavala’s witness policy excludes family members. Supplied witnesses need at least seven days’ notice and Zachary’s confirmation.
4. When to sign
Do not alter the original or copy. Zachary must review what can be certified; a stamp cannot replace an issuing agency’s certified record.
Something missing or unclear? Call Zach at (509) 208-8383 before making plans. Do not upload identification or confidential records here.
Where these requirements come from
The ID and notarial-act guidance follows Washington’s identification law and notarial-act requirements. Document-specific lists are preparation guidance, not a legal determination that a package is complete or valid.
Missing something? Call Zach before making plans. More questions and answers.