Question 1

Can I get a document notarized online in South Carolina?

Accepted Answer

No. South Carolina has not legalized remote online notarization, so a South Carolina notary cannot notarize your signature over a video call. The signer and the notary must be in the same room. That is why I am a mobile notary: instead of you traveling to an office, I come to you.

Question 2

Which towns do you serve?

Accepted Answer

I serve Summerville, Ladson and Goose Creek, South Carolina. Each town has its own page with its travel tiers, local landmarks and the documents I am asked to notarize most often there.

Question 3

What does it cost?

Accepted Answer

There are two separate fees. The first is the notarial fee. South Carolina caps it at $5.00 per notarial act, and it is the same everywhere in the state. The second is my travel fee. It is based on the road distance from my Summerville base, rounded to the nearest whole mile, and it starts at $35 for the closest tier. I confirm both fees with you before I leave.

Question 4

Why is there a 31+ mile tier on the rate card?

Accepted Answer

It covers work outside my three towns, not inside them. Every address I have measured in Summerville, Ladson and Goose Creek is within thirty road miles of my Summerville base, and the farthest is under twenty-five miles. The 31+ mile tier is for the occasional appointment outside Summerville, Ladson and Goose Creek, and it is quoted per job rather than at a published rate. It is not an offer of a wider service area. If your address is outside those three towns, please call and ask. You will receive an answer either way, and we agree on the fee before I leave.

Question 5

What do I need to have ready?

Accepted Answer

Please have three things ready. First, unexpired photo identification for every signer. Second, the complete document, including any pages the receiving office requested. Third, every signer named on the document must be present at the appointment, because I cannot notarize for someone who is not there. If your document also requires witnesses, please arrange for them to attend. Hospital and facility staff are not always able to serve as witnesses.

Question 6

Can you tell me which form I need, or what my document says?

Accepted Answer

No, and here is why. I notarize the documents you provide. Drafting a document, filling it in, choosing which form your situation requires, or explaining what a document means is legal work, and South Carolina reserves it for licensed attorneys. For those questions, please contact the office that issued the paperwork or an attorney. Then call me for the notarization.

Question 7

Can you certify that a photocopy matches the original?

Accepted Answer

No. Confirming that a photocopy matches an original is not one of the notarial acts a South Carolina notary is authorized to perform. Please ask the office that issued the document for an official duplicate. If the receiving office asks for a sworn statement about a document, I can notarize your signature on that statement.

Question 8

Can you come out at night or on a weekend?

Accepted Answer

Yes. I take appointments at night, on weekends and on holidays. Hospital admissions, detention facilities and deadlines do not keep office hours, which is why my appointments are available around the clock. After-hours, hospital, care-facility and detention-facility appointments may be quoted above the standard travel tier. I confirm that fee with you before I leave.

Question 9

Can a notary come to your house?

Accepted Answer

A notary can come to your house, and that is exactly the service I provide. There is no office to visit and no line to wait in. When my services are required, you call, we agree on a time and a travel fee, and I drive to you.

Question 10

Can a notary come to the hospital?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a notary can come to the hospital. A hospital room does not prevent a notarial act, as long as the signer is present, has identification, understands what is being signed, and is signing willingly. I handle these appointments at 2 a.m. the same way I handle them at 2 p.m.

Question 11

Can a notary marry someone in SC?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In South Carolina, a notary public may solemnize a marriage (S.C. Code §20-1-20; South Carolina Secretary of State Notary Public Manual, p. 8). The ceremony must take place inside South Carolina. The state has no separate officiant registration. My notary commission is what allows me to perform the ceremony.

Question 12

How to get an apostille in South Carolina?

Accepted Answer

In South Carolina, apostilles are issued by the Secretary of State in Columbia. Your document must reach that office in acceptable form, with the state fee, and then be returned to you. You can do this yourself by mail. Most people who call me are short on time, are sending documents overseas for the first time, or have already had a package returned.

Question 13

What does a loan signing agent do?

Accepted Answer

A loan signing agent is a commissioned notary who meets the borrower, confirms identity, witnesses the signatures on a loan document package, and completes the notarial certificates. What that role may cover varies by state, and South Carolina draws the line more firmly than most states.

Question 14

What's the difference between Live Scan and ink cards?

Accepted Answer

Ink cards are the paper ones, and they are the service I provide. Your fingerprints are rolled in ink onto an FD-258 card, and you mail or deliver that card to whoever requested it. Live Scan is the electronic version: your prints are captured digitally and sent directly to the agency, with no card in your hands. The requesting agency decides which one you need, so please check its letter before you book.

Question 15

Who can be an authorized representative for Form I-9?

Accepted Answer

An employer may designate anyone. USCIS allows an employer to appoint any person as an authorized representative to examine documents and complete Section 2 of Form I-9 in person on the employer's behalf. The role requires no license or certification. The employer remains legally responsible for what the representative records, which is why it matters whom you send.

Question 16

How many times does a process server try to serve you?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the server and on the person being served. I make attempts at different times of day and on different days of the week, and I log each one with the date, time and address. If service cannot be completed, you receive the attempt log and a clear explanation of why.

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