Clerk of Courts
Clerk of Courts
Notaries may act on behalf of the Deputy Clerk for legal documents outside of the Clerk's Office. We staff notaries throughout Florida circuit court districts. It may not be feasible for many Florida residents to visit in person. In these instances, we can send a traveling notary with documents in -hand and even have them couriered to the clerk if needed.
The duties of the Florida clerk of courts include overseeing the official records of the court, such as filing and maintaining court documents. One important aspect of the clerk's duties is the requirement for certain documents to be signed in the presence of a notary public or deputy clerk.
A notary public is a person authorized by the state to witness signatures and verify the identity of the signer, ensuring the document is signed under the signer's own free will. This helps prevent fraud by confirming the right person is signing the document.
The process for having a signature notarized typically involves the signer filling out the form, then signing it in front of the notary public or deputy clerk at the clerk's office. The notary will then complete the notary section of the form, which includes verifying the signer's identity and witnessing the signature.
In addition to the clerk's office, notaries can often be found at banks, insurance firms, law offices, and real estate offices, though some may only notarize documents for their own clients.
The clerk's office, however, always has a notary available during business hours to notarize court-related documents. While we can assist with preparing some legal documents, such as those related to a simplified dissolution of marriage, or deed, the clerk nor our agency can provide legal advice.5 The role of the notary is to verify the signer's identity and the authenticity of the signature, not to provide legal counseling.