The Peotone Public Library District offers free Notary Public services for the benefit of our residents in accordance with the Illinois Notary Public Act (5 ILCS 312).

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Notary service is by appointment only.  Patrons should call to schedule an appointment at least 30 minutes in advance.  Notary services are not guaranteed without an appointment.  

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Patrons requesting notary services must provide the following items:

• The completed, unsigned original document to be notarized

• A witness or witnesses, if required by the document

  • Witnesses may not be solicited from staff or patrons using the Library

  • In order to serve as a witness, the witness must personally know the person whose document is being notarized and must be in possession of valid photo identification.

• A valid, government-issues photo identification

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Library staff who serve as a Notary:

• Follow the notary laws of the State of Illinois.

• Will not give professional advice on legal matters pertaining to notarizing documents.

• Reserve the right to refuse notary services at any time, including but not limited to documents from which the notary certification can be detached from the document being notarized.

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Notary staff are unable to notarize:

• Blank forms; any blank spaces on a form should be crossed out or have N/A written

• Real estate transactions

• Visa and immigration paperwork

• Documents from foreign governments or in a language other than English

• 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

• Documents that do not contain notary language or a notary certificate.  

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The Library does not process electronic or remote notary services; all signatories must be present in person.

Notaries cannot pre-date or post-date any action, prepare a legal document, give advice on legal matters, or notarize documents in which they have a personal interest.

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All notarial services will be entered in the acting notary’s Notary Public Record Book.  Notary service will not be provided for a requester who declines to sign the record book.  

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Notaries will not provide service if the person, the document, or any circumstances of the request for Notary service raise any issue of authenticity, ambiguity, doubt, or uncertainty for the Library.

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Illinois law requires that a patron seeking notarization and the notary be able to communicate directly with each other, without the use of a translator.  If this is not the case, the notary will not be authorized to notarize the document(s).  

Notary service is not available in the 15 minutes prior to the time of Library closing.

 

 

 

Approved January 18, 2022

Amended February 19, 2026