Notary Services in Denver: The Complete Guide to Mobile & In-Person Notarization

Notary services in Denver cover five notarial acts: acknowledgments, verifications (jurats), oaths and affirmations, signature witnessing, and copy certifications. You can visit a notary, have a mobile notary come to you, or notarize online. Colorado caps the notarial fee at $15 per document ($25 remote); mobile notaries add a disclosed travel fee. Bring valid photo ID, your unsigned document, and every signer.

Sooner or later, almost everyone needs something notarized: a power of attorney for an aging parent, a vehicle title, an affidavit for court, a parental travel consent letter, or a stack of closing documents. The request usually arrives with a deadline and very little explanation. This guide explains how notary services work in Denver and across Colorado — what a notary actually does, which notarial act your document needs, how mobile and online notarization compare, what Colorado allows notaries to charge, and how to get it done right the first time.

MJ Notary Denver is a commissioned Colorado notary public and National Notary Association member serving the metro area since 2019. If you already know what you need, see our mobile notary services or book an appointment.

What a Notary Public Actually Does

A notary public is a state-commissioned official who serves as an impartial witness to the signing of important documents. The notary’s job is not to judge whether a document is fair, legal, or accurate. It is to confirm three things about the person signing it:

• Identity. The signer is who they claim to be, verified with acceptable identification or a credible witness.
• Presence. The signer personally appeared before the notary — in the same room, or by live audio-video for a remote notarization.
• Willingness and awareness. The signer appears to understand what they are signing and is doing so voluntarily.

The notary then completes a notarial certificate, signs it, applies an official stamp, and records the act in a journal. That record is what makes a notarized document trustworthy to courts, banks, county recorders, and government agencies — and it is why notarization deters fraud so effectively.

The Five Notarial Acts in Colorado

“Notarize this” can mean several different things. Colorado notaries perform five main types of notarial acts, and your document’s certificate wording tells you which one it needs.

One important limit: a Colorado notary cannot certify copies of records that are available from a county clerk and recorder, the Secretary of State, the state archives, or an office of vital records — such as a Colorado birth certificate. For those, you request a certified copy from the issuing office. That distinction trips up many people preparing documents for use abroad; our complete guide to apostilles in Colorado explains which version of a document you need.

Not sure which act your document needs? Look for the certificate wording already printed on it. “Acknowledged before me” signals an acknowledgment; “subscribed and sworn to before me” signals a verification. If there is no wording, the receiving agency or your attorney decides — a notary who is not an attorney cannot choose for you.

Three Ways to Get Notarized: Office, Mobile, or Online

Denver residents have three options, and the right one depends on your schedule, your location, and your document.

Office or walk-in notaries include banks (often for their own customers), shipping stores, and some libraries and government offices. Availability is inconsistent, hours are limited, and many will not handle certain documents such as wills, vehicle titles, or real estate paperwork.

Mobile notaries travel to you. That matters when the signer cannot easily leave — a hospital patient, a homebound parent, a busy professional — or when several people need to sign at once.

Online notarization, formally called remote notarization, lets you meet a Colorado notary by live audio-video and sign electronically. It is ideal for travelers and out-of-state signers, but the document must be electronic and the receiving party must accept it. Learn more on our online notary services page.

How Mobile Notary Service Works in Denver

A mobile notary appointment is simple. You call or book online and describe the document and the number of signers. The notary confirms the time, place, and fee before the appointment — Colorado requires notaries to tell you all charges before performing the notarial act. At the appointment, the notary checks each signer’s ID, completes the notarization, and records it in a journal. Most single-document appointments take 15 to 30 minutes.

MJ Notary Denver travels throughout the metro area, including Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Centennial, Littleton, Englewood, Commerce City, Thornton, Westminster, and Broomfield. We are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday mornings, with after-hours and weekend appointments by arrangement. Common mobile requests include:

• Powers of attorney and advance medical directives
• Vehicle titles and bills of sale
• Affidavits and sworn statements
• Parental travel consent letters
• Estate planning and trust documents
• Business contracts and authorizations
• Real estate and loan documents — see our guide to loan signing agents in Denver

Documents Denver Residents Notarize Most Often

Every document is different, but most notary requests in the Denver metro fall into a handful of categories. Here is what usually matters for each:

• Powers of attorney. Colorado’s statutory power of attorney forms are typically acknowledged. The person granting the authority — the principal — must sign and be identified; the agent doesn’t need to attend.
• Advance medical directives. Often signed at hospitals or care facilities. Some forms call for witnesses in addition to, or instead of, a notary, so read the form’s instructions before the appointment.
• Vehicle titles and bills of sale. Each seller whose name is on the title usually needs to sign. Bring every owner and their ID.
• Affidavits and sworn statements. These need a verification, so the signer must swear or affirm and sign in front of the notary — don’t sign ahead of time.
• Parental travel consent letters. When a child travels with one parent or another adult, the non-traveling parent signs before a notary. If the trip is international, check whether the destination also wants an apostille.
• Deeds and real estate documents. Deeds are acknowledged so they can be recorded with the county Clerk and Recorder. Full mortgage closings are handled by a loan signing agent.
• Documents for use abroad. Diplomas, affidavits, and powers of attorney headed overseas are often notarized first and then authenticated with an apostille by the Colorado Secretary of State.

What Notary Services Cost in Colorado

Colorado sets a ceiling on the notarial fee itself but lets notaries charge separately for travel and other services, as long as they disclose those charges in advance and in writing.

“The maximum fee allowed for a notarization is $15 per document.”

A typical single-document mobile appointment with MJ Notary Denver is $60: a $45 travel fee plus one $15 notarization. Additional signatures on the same visit add $15 each. You will always receive an itemized record of the charges, as Colorado requires.

What to Bring to Any Notary Appointment

Most failed notarizations come down to three things: missing ID, a missing signer, or a document that was signed too early. Before your appointment, gather:

• Valid photo ID for every signer. A driver’s license, state ID, or passport. Colorado allows ID that is current or expired no more than one year, though some receiving agencies require it to be unexpired.
• The complete document. All pages, with blanks filled in. Notaries will ask you to complete or line through empty spaces.
• Every signer, in person. No one can sign for an absent person unless they hold a valid power of attorney.
• An unsigned document, if it requires a jurat or signature witnessing. For those acts you must sign in front of the notary.

If a signer has no acceptable ID, Colorado allows identification through a credible witness who personally knows the signer and can be identified by the notary. Call ahead so the notary can plan for it. For the full list, including special situations like signing for a business or at a hospital, see our checklist of what to bring to a notary appointment.

What a Notary Can’t Do

Notaries are impartial witnesses, which means there are firm limits on what they can do for you:

• No legal advice. A notary who is not an attorney cannot explain a document’s legal effect, draft it for you, or decide which notarial act you need.
• No notarizing for family or self-interest. Colorado bars a notary from notarizing when a spouse, civil union partner, parent, child, or sibling is a party or would benefit, or when the notary would gain more than the notarial fee.
• No absent signers. The signer must personally appear — physically, or by live video for a remote notarization.
• No backdating. The certificate must show the actual date of the notarization.
• No certifying vital-record copies. Birth, death, and marriage records come from the issuing office as certified copies.

Notaries also may refuse a notarization if they are not satisfied that the signer is competent, has the capacity to sign, or is signing knowingly and voluntarily. That protection exists for the signer’s benefit.

Notarizations at Hospitals, Care Facilities, and Homes

Some of the most urgent notary requests come from hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and assisted living communities, usually for powers of attorney, medical directives, or estate documents. These appointments go smoothly with a little preparation:

• Confirm the signer can communicate. The signer must be able to understand the document and express willingness to sign. A notary will speak with the signer directly, not just with family.
• Find the ID in advance. Wallets are often at home after an admission. If the ID is lost, line up a credible witness.
• Check facility rules. Ask the nurse’s station about visiting hours and whether a staff member can serve as a witness, if your document needs one.
• Have the document complete. Attorneys usually prepare these forms; bring every page.

MJ Notary Denver handles hospital and care-facility notarizations across the metro, including same-day appointments when our schedule allows.

How to Choose a Notary in Denver

All Colorado notaries hold the same commission, but service varies widely. Look for:

• An active Colorado commission. You can verify any notary through the Colorado Secretary of State’s notary search.
• Clear, upfront pricing. Fees should be quoted before the appointment and itemized afterward.
• Experience with your document type. Loan packages, apostille documents, and hospital signings each have their own pitfalls.
• Availability that fits your deadline, including evenings and Saturdays.
• Professional standards, such as National Notary Association membership and errors-and-omissions insurance.

If your document is headed overseas, it may need an apostille after notarization. See apostille vs. notarization vs. authentication to understand the difference.

Thinking of becoming a notary yourself? See our guide on how to become a notary in Colorado, which covers the requirements, training, exam, and costs.

Book a Notary With MJ Notary Denver

MJ Notary Denver is a commissioned Colorado notary public and National Notary Association member offering mobile, online, apostille, and loan signing services. Mobile appointments start at $60 ($45 travel plus $15 per notarization). See our mobile notary services, contact us, or call (720) 333-0580. We serve Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Centennial, Littleton, Englewood, and Commerce City, plus Thornton, Westminster, and Broomfield.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: Colorado Secretary of State, Notary Public FAQs (fees, duties, remote notarization); C.R.S. § 24-21-506 (personal appearance), § 24-21-507 (identification), § 24-21-508 (refusal). Last reviewed October 2026.

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