# Notary Public VS Notary Signing Agent - What's the Difference?

# Notary Public VS Notary Signing Agent -

What's the Difference?

What's the difference between a notary public and a notary signing agent? While they share some common duties, these two notary roles have distinct responsibilities and specializations. Signature Notary San Diego, LLC are experts in the field and bring a wealth of knowledge to the table about various Notary topics. We have almost one decade of experience.

In this blog, we’ll explain the key differences between general notaries public and notary signing agents so you understand their specific services.

## Notary Public

A notary public is authorized by the state to perform a range of notarial acts that prevent fraud and ensure proper execution of important legal documents.

Common duties of a notary public include:

- Witnessing signatures on documents

- Administering oaths

- Verifying personal identification

- Certifying document copies

- Acknowledging deeds and mortgages

- Verifying vehicle identification numbers

- Attesting to the opening of a safe deposit box

Notaries public go through commissioning and training to understand notarial laws and procedures. They typically provide services to the general public.

## Notary Signing Agent

A notary signing agent specializes in facilitating mortgage, real estate, and loan signings.

Typical duties of a signing agent include:

- Working with title companies and lenders

- Communicating signing details to signers

- Ensuring all documents comply with regulations

- Explaining complex mortgage documents

- Witnessing all signatures

- Completing notary journal entries

Signing agents undergo training on mortgage documentation processes. They assist at real estate closings and help prevent costly errors or omissions.

## Key Differences

While a notary public can perform real estate closings, a signing agent focuses exclusively on them. Some key differences include:

- **Training** - Signing agents study mortgage documents, not general notary duties.

- **Specialization** - Agents only facilitate loan and real estate transactions.

- **Service Scope** - Public notaries offer a wider range of standard notarial acts.

- **Clients** - Agents work with lenders and title companies, not the general public.

- **Knowledge** - Signing agents have in-depth knowledge of the closing process.

So in summary - notary signing agents concentrate on a narrow subset of notarial duties, but gain specialized expertise that public notaries may not have.

Hope this overview explains the difference between these two important notary roles!