Insurers ask for notarization inconsistently, which is why people arrive unsure whether they need it. There is a pattern, though: the more the document is a sworn statement of fact rather than a request, the more likely it needs a notary.
Here are the forms that come up, and how to find out for yours.
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Usually notarized
Sworn proof of loss, for property claims after a fire, flood, water damage or theft. Almost always. See what it involves.
Theft and loss affidavits, including stolen vehicle affidavits and lost item statements. See how to write one.
Life insurance claim forms, frequently, particularly where the claim is large or the beneficiary situation is complicated.
Affidavits of domicile, where an estate is claiming on securities or certain accounts.
Lost policy or lost check affidavits, which usually include an indemnity you should read.
Statements about who is entitled, where several people may claim, or where a beneficiary designation is unclear.
Usually not
An initial notice of a claim. Routine correspondence. A repair estimate. Most auto claim reporting. Health insurance forms, generally.
If a document is you telling the insurer something happened, it is usually a form. If it is you swearing to figures or entitlement, expect a notary.
How to find out for certain
Look at the document. A notarial block on the page settles it.
Where it is unclear, ask the adjuster or the claims department directly, in writing where you can, and ask two further questions at the same time: do you accept an electronically notarized document, and do you need the physical original or is a scan sufficient?
Those answers decide whether you can handle it online in ten minutes or need to post an original.
The practical rules that apply to all of them
Complete the form before the appointment. Insurers reject forms with blanks and a notary should decline to notarize one.
Do not sign in advance. Sworn documents require the signature to be made in front of the notary, and a form already signed has to be signed again.
Bring valid unexpired government issued photo identification. Expired identification is the leading reason a session cannot be completed.
Check that your name on the form matches your identification. Where records differ, a same person affidavit is usually what resolves it.
Read what you are swearing to
Insurance documents frequently contain more than the figures.
Watch for language authorizing the insurer to obtain records, releasing claims, confirming that no other insurance covers the loss, or indemnifying the insurer if something turns up later.
Those are commitments, not formalities. Where a document says more than you expected, that is a reason to slow down and, on a significant claim, to have somebody look at it before you swear to it.
What we can do
Verify who you are, administer the oath, and complete the certificate properly, same day across the five boroughs or online in minutes.
What we cannot do is read your policy, tell you what to claim, value anything, or advise on whether to sign. A notary cannot give legal or insurance advice, and on a large claim the right people to ask are a public adjuster or an attorney.
Claims after a death
The category where notarization comes up most, and where families are least prepared for it.
A life insurance claim needs a certified death certificate and the insurer’s claim form, and often more where the estate rather than a named person is the beneficiary.
Order several certified death certificates at the outset, because every institution keeps the one you send. See how many you need.
Where the beneficiary is out of state, which is usual, the notarization can be handled online in minutes. See making a claim after a death.
Auto claims
Mostly handled without a notary, with two exceptions.
A stolen vehicle affidavit is a sworn document and generally notarized. So is a total loss settlement where you are transferring the title to the insurer, and that transfer follows the vehicle title rules rather than the insurance ones. See what happens when the title is missing.
Keep the police report number from the outset. Insurers ask for it and so does the DMV.
Business claims
Commercial policyholders meet the same documents with an extra requirement: whoever swears has to have authority to swear for the company.
New York’s notary rules require us to be satisfied that the record presented evidences the signer’s capacity to act as representative, so bring the resolution, operating agreement or incumbency certificate. See representative capacity.
Business interruption claims in particular generate sworn statements about revenue and losses, and those figures should come from your accountant rather than an estimate.
Deadlines hide in the policy
Insurance is full of dates that are easy to miss because nobody announces them.
Prompt notice of the loss. A period to submit a proof of loss once requested. A window to dispute a denial. And a contractual limitation period within which any lawsuit must be brought, which in property policies can be considerably shorter than the ordinary limitation period.
Read those in your own policy and diary them. Where an insurer asks you for something with a deadline attached, and you need longer, ask in writing for an extension rather than letting the date pass.
Do not let the notarization be the delay
It rarely is, and it occasionally becomes one because people leave it to the last day and then discover their identification expired.
Check three things a week before any deadline: the form is complete, nothing is signed yet, and every signer has valid unexpired photo identification.
Then book. Same day is usually possible with us, in person across the five boroughs or online in minutes, but it is a thin margin to rely on when the alternative is a rejected claim.
Keep the whole file
Every form you submitted, every photograph, every email and letter with dates, the police report where there is one, receipts for anything you spent mitigating the loss, and a note of every phone call with who you spoke to.
Claims are decided on documentation, and disputes are won by the party who kept it. That is true whether the claim is a thousand dollars or a hundred times that.
If somebody else is signing for you
Comes up where a claimant is elderly, ill, or abroad.
A sworn statement is personal. Nobody can swear to facts on somebody else’s behalf, and holding a power of attorney does not change that, because an oath is not a transaction.
What a properly drafted power of attorney can allow is an agent to handle claim administration, and insurers vary on what they accept. Ask the insurer specifically what authority they require and in what form.
Where the claimant can still understand and sign, we travel to homes, hospitals and care facilities across the five boroughs, which is usually the simpler answer. See how bedside appointments work.
Related reading
- Sworn proof of loss: the document with a deadline
- Theft and loss affidavits
- Making a life insurance claim after a death
- When a claim is denied or delayed
This is general information, not legal or insurance advice, and NotarEaseNYC is not a law firm, an insurer or a public adjuster. Policy terms and deadlines differ, and a notary cannot read your policy, value a loss, or advise on a claim. Work from your own policy and, where a claim is significant or disputed, speak with an attorney or a licensed public adjuster.