Who Can Get Critical Documents Signed in a Hospital in Los Angeles?
A notary usually doesn't even enter the conversation of most families until they are already at the hospital, stuck in a waiting room with documents that needed signing weeks ago. A mother is in the ICU. A husband is recovering from surgery. And somewhere in the chaos, someone has just remembered the power of attorney isn't executed. It is, by far, the norm and precisely what 24HourNotaryLA was developed to address.
Can a Notary Legally Come to a Hospital in California?
Yes. It is legal for a mobile notary to perform a notarization in a hospital in California. There is nothing in California law that dictates where a notarization may occur. A notary who holds a commission in the state can appear at a person's home, lawyer's office, hotel room, or hospital ward and be a witness to the signature and affix the notarial stamp and seal.
The issue is the signatory, not the place. Is the patient able to comply with California's criteria to have a proper notarization? If so, the hospital does not.
The Three Requirements a Hospital Patient Must Meet
Three conditions must be met before a notary is allowed to notarize a document at a hospital bedside, according to California law. They are all equally important, and a notary cannot lawfully take an acknowledgment if one of these conditions is not met.
1. Personal Appearance
The patient must be physically present and "acknowledge" the document directly to the notary. "Acknowledgment" means that the signer declares in person that he/she signed the document, that it is indeed their signature, and that they signed it willingly. A patient who is comatose, under a large dose of sedation, or in a medically induced coma cannot present themselves to the notary in this manner.
The patient's family cannot "acknowledge" on their behalf. The notary can't acknowledge on their behalf after being told by a third party that the signature is the correct one.
2. Valid Government-Issued Photo ID
In California, a notary must check the identity of the signer prior to signing the document. An active driver's license, US passport, or California State ID card is accepted. Expired ID cards will not work.
If the patient is unable to produce a valid ID (and surprisingly, this occurs at hospitals more often than you'd think), California law provides a second option. The signer's identity can be corroborated by two credible witnesses who know the signer personally, are not named in the document, and have a financial stake in neither the signing nor the document itself. Both witnesses must be present, and both will be required to show the notary their own ID.
3. Mental Competence and Willingness
The signer must have some awareness of what they are signing and must do so without duress or undue influence. It should be remembered that a notary is not a doctor, nor can the notary make an actual medical determination of competence. Nevertheless, the notary must use direct communication to feel fairly certain that the patient knows that they are signing a legal document of this kind and are not being forced.
When there is an obvious reason to believe that a patient is not mentally capable, or seems to be unsure, upset, or incoherent with his answers, the notary must halt the proceeding or refuse to do so. This helps the patient more than it may help with the document in question.
We might add, as a bit of practical information, that the law does not require California that a doctor produce proof of mental capacity. The best solution may be to have the nurse or attending doctor in the room at the time you are able to do the signing.
What Documents Can Be Signed and Notarized in a Hospital?
The majority of documents that need a notarization seal under the California code are capable of being notarized in a hospital. As long as the above 3 factors for the patient are met, then the hospital can be notarized. These are the typical notarization requests that 24HourNotaryLA processes while visiting in the hospital or medical facility:
Power of Attorney
With apower of attorney, you appoint an agent to conduct your financial, personal, or legal business for you. A Durable Power of Attorney, or DPOA, continues to be effective even after the principal, the person signing, is incapacitated. Because of its effectiveness, a DPOA is among the most important documents a hospitalized patient may need to sign. We get a DPOA notarized more often in hospitals than any other document.
Advance Healthcare Directive
Anadvanced healthcare directive, sometimes called a living will, tells medical providers what treatments the patient wants or does not want if they can no longer communicate. In California, a valid advance directive must be either notarized or signed in front of two qualified witnesses. Many families choose notarization for additional legal certainty.
Trust Documents and Amendments
In the hospital setting, a person might need to change a current trust, remove or appoint a successor trustee, or execute new estate planning documents. This scenario typically happens when a wealthy individual is hospitalized unexpectedly and discovers that their estate plan is missing something or is not current.
Affidavits and Sworn Statements
The attorney, for use in a court proceeding, insurance claim, or property dispute where the client cannot wait until they are physically able to travel to an attorney's office, may need an affidavit or a legal declaration. A mobile notary in Los Angeles can witness and seal such documents at the bedside of the patient.
Deed Transfers and Real Estate Documents
Anyone that must sign a grant deed, quitclaim deed, or escrow documents related to areal estate transaction in process may do so while in the hospital. Hospitalization will not stop closing on the property. A Los Angeles mobile notary can facilitate a closing so a patient's hospital stay does not prevent the real estate transaction from being completed.
Business Authorization Documents
Occasionally, a business owner who is hospitalized will be called upon to sign a corporate resolution, a signatory change authorization, or a business document for business continuity purposes. Bedside delivery for notarization works the same way.
How a Hospital Notary Appointment Works in Los Angeles
The procedure is fairly simple. Here is what you can expect on the phone call to 24HourNotaryLA for hospital notarization:
Step 1: Call us. Dial Matthew at (310) 975-4869 anytime, day or night. State the hospital name, patient's room number/ward, and which documents you need to be notarized.
Step 2: Have documents ready. All documents should be completely filled out prior to our arrival. The notary signs and seals the document; they do not prepare, draft or provide legal advice for your documents. Ensure your pages are completed and organized but unsigned.
Step 3: Check ID. Ensure your patient has their unexpired government-issued photo ID ready. If they are not in possession of ID, please have two credible witnesses at the site, and inform us when you call.
Step 4: We get there and check in. Matthew can arrive at the hospital check-in at visitor services or through the patient services desk and then go to the patient's room. In most Los Angeles hospitals, most notaries come into the patient room during regular visiting hours. If the patient is in the ICU or a ward that is usually off-limits, call the charge nurse prior to our arrival to ensure that visitor access is granted; usually, a quick call from a family member will be sufficient.
Step 5: The documents are executed and stamped. The patient sees the notary, where the identity is confirmed, the intent is confirmed, and the signature is witnessed; the notarial seal is then applied. Usually, an appointment is somewhere between 20 and 45 minutes in duration, with most hospital appointments being between these times.
What If the Patient Cannot Sign?
This is the question sometimes dreaded to be asked by the family. The answer counts here, too.
In cases where the patient is unconscious, unresponsive or mentally incapacitated, they cannot have a notary present. There are no exceptions. Consent from a relative cannot replace the appearance and signature of the principal from a notary. The protection that lies here is for the patient, to make sure the papers are not executed without their knowledge and without consent.
If you find yourself in one of these predicaments, there are two things that may need to happen based on whether the Power of Attorney was put in place prior to your hospitalization.
If there is already a POA that is correctly and properly notarized, the person designated as agent already has the authority to proceed with the use of that POA. No other notarization besides this need occur. The POA gives them the power.
If a POA was not in place prior to incapacitation, the family will likely have to establish conservatorship through the California probate court, which can be a long and costly process. An elder law attorney will know of the fastest options possible.
This is the reason why 24HourNotaryLA always urges families to not delay. Having a power of attorney and health care directive executed at home while in good health is far less costly and less time-consuming than litigating an incapacity case at a later date. Please call us if your family hasn't done so already; we will come to your home today. Please refer to the services entitled "power of attorney" and "health care directive."
Book a Hospital Notary in Los Angeles.
You've already got enough to worry about when you have a loved one in the hospital. Don't spend your valuable time finding a notary.
Our notary is NNA certified, licensed, bonded, and covered by 1 million dollars of errors and omissions insurance. We've been notarizing in LA County Hospitals for more than 9 years in good times and the worst. We'll come to you.
To arrange for notary services in hospital for yourself or another: Call or Text at (310) 975-4869, available every day, all day.
To see more about how we focus on the patient and resident, visit our Hospital and Assisted Living notary page.
For more about all 24HourNotaryLA does for Beverly Hills and throughout Los Angeles, see: How Beverly Hills Mobile Notaries Bring Reliable Help Anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a hospital notary cost in Los Angeles?
State law limits the cost of notary fees to $15.00 per notarized signature. 24HourNotaryLA charges a travel fee above and beyond this base fee, varying by location and time. If you'd like to schedule an appointment, give us a call at (310) 975-4869 to get an estimate prior to our dispatch; no hidden fees.
Can a notary go to the ICU?
Sometimes, yes. It will depend on the hospital's visitor policy for that particular unit. A quick phone call to the charge nurse from one of your family members, prior to our arrival, will usually help clear things up. Just give us a call, and we'll make arrangements with you.
Does the patient need a doctor's letter to be notarized in a hospital?
No, physician examination is not mandated by California law. However, if questions of mental competence may arise, the nurse/doctor attending during the appointment may be appropriate to make it an uninterrupted visit.
How quickly can a mobile notary reach a hospital in Los Angeles?
Usually, 24HourNotaryLA can come to your place within one hour after your request if you are located anywhere within Los Angeles County. We serve clients around the clock: we are open 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
What if the patient has no photo ID?
In California, two credible witnesses can also identify the patient; both of them must know the patient well, not appear on the document itself, and have no monetary interest in the notarization. Two credible witnesses can also sign and show their own proper identification and must also appear in front of the notary. Please advise when you will be calling so arrangements can be made.
24HourNotaryLA is a certified, mobile notary public service located in Los Angeles, California. Licensed, bonded, NNA Certified, and $1M E & O Insured. We are available 24/7 all over Los Angeles County.