Chapter 1 – General Administration

14010.22 Notarization of Legal Documents

• Each Warden shall identify and designate a Notary Public Coordinator, have an adequate number of commissioned notaries public to accommodate inmate requests, and designate a secured storage area for supplemental identification cards. Upon request from an employee, an inmate, or an inmate’s attorney, notary service shall be provided upon payment of established notary fees.

• Documents requiring notarization may be notarized only upon the inmate’s payment of the established notary fee. Inmates who request notarization of court documents, but who cannot pay the established fee, shall be advised that the courts permit an alternative to notarization. Under CCPCode of Civil Procedure 2015.5 and Title 28, U.S.United States Code (USC) 1746 (cited as 28 USC 1746), documents can be filed with a declaration under penalty of perjury.

• Notary services shall be provided as expeditiously as possible, consistent with security and other operational needs.

• An employee acting as a notary shall not read a document to witness the signature other than to ascertain the title or description of the document for the notary’s record book and to ensure the person whose signature is being witnessed signs it in front of the notary.