Notary, authentication and apostille guides for documents used in Ontario, New York and abroad — including which documents need which chain of certification, and what to bring.
A notary public is an officer of the law authorized to administer oaths, witness signatures, certify true copies of documents, and authenticate documents for use in legal proceedings. In Ontario, notaries public can perform a broader range of functions than commissioners of oaths — including certifying copies of documents for use outside Canada. In New York, notaries witness signatures and administer oaths. At Mayo Law, our notary services are performed by a licensed lawyer in each jurisdiction.
Both can administer oaths and witness sworn statements, but a notary public has additional authority that a commissioner of oaths does not — most importantly, the ability to certify true copies of documents (useful for documents going abroad or to government agencies), notarize documents for international use, and authenticate signatures. In Ontario, every lawyer and paralegal licensed by the Law Society of Ontario is automatically a commissioner for taking affidavits, but notaries public are appointed by the Attorney General under the Notaries Act. A licensee who wants the office applies to Official Documents Services, is exempt from the qualification requirements that other applicants must meet, and receives an appointment that does not expire while the licensee remains in good standing. Commissioners of oaths are appointed for specific purposes and have a narrower scope.
Yes. We notarize documents for use abroad regularly — including powers of attorney for foreign transactions, immigration support letters, sworn statements for foreign court proceedings, and corporate documents for foreign business registrations. Documents going to certain countries also require authentication (Global Affairs Canada or US State Department) and legalization by the receiving country’s embassy or consulate. For Hague Convention signatory countries, an apostille replaces this process. We coordinate the full authentication and apostille chain for clients.