Notary Services Policy
Florence County Library System
Approved by the Board of Trustees July 7, 2025
1. Purpose and Contents
The purpose of this policy is to establish and govern the library’s provision of Notary Public
services for the benefit of Florence County citizens.
Policy Contents
● Availability
● Identification
● Documents
● Witnesses
● Limitations
2. Availability
2.1 Notary service is available at each Florence County library location. To ensure that a
notary public is available and that the document(s) can be notarized, appointments are
required. Because notary service is one of many services provided by the library, customers may
need to wait while library staff notaries complete other tasks.
2.2 Notary service is not available in the thirty minutes prior to the library’s closing time.
3. Eligibility
3.1 Notary service is available to all adult residents of Florence County.
3.2 All signers of a document to be notarized must appear in person and present a valid,
government-issued photo ID. The name on the ID must exactly match the name on the
document to be notarized. Acceptable forms of ID include driver’s license or state-issued ID,
current passport, or military ID.
4. Documents
4.1 Library staff notaries are authorized to perform the notarial acts established in the S.C.
Code of Laws §26-1-90(A), including:
- Acknowledgements
- Oaths and Affirmations
- Attestatios and Jurats
- Signature Witnessing
- Verifications
4.2 Staff are not able to notarize the following types of documents:
● Any pre-signed document (documents must be signed in the presence of the notary)
● Documents with blank spaces for information other than the signatures of those
appearing before the notary
● Pre-dated or post-dated actions or documents
● Documents in languages other than English
● Deeds, mortgages, or any other real estate transactions
● Vital records, including birth, death, or marriage certificates
● I-9 forms
● Depositions, wills, or Power of Attorney
● Documents requiring special legal expertise or the verification of facts
5. Witnesses
5.1 Any witnesses required to sign a document must be personally known to the person
whose document is being notarized.
5.2 The library cannot provide witnesses. Customers may not solicit library staff or other
library patrons to serve as witnesses.
5.3 All witnesses must provide photo ID as described in section 3.2 of this policy.
6. Limitations
6.1 Staff cannot provide legal advice regarding documents to be notarized, and cannot assist
in the preparation of documents.
6.2 Staff cannot provide notary service if the document, customer, or circumstances of the
request raise any issue of authenticity, ambiguity, or uncertainty for the library. In this event, the
library notary may decline service at their sole discretion.
6.3 Staff cannot notarize any document when the notary is party to, or benefits from, the
document being notarized.