# Can a Notary notarize adoption forms for his own family?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-notary-notarize-adoption-forms-for-his-own-family/376694
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 16, 2006, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-notary-notarize-adoption-forms-for-his-own-family/376694 "2006-10-16T22:29:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Shecky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shecky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shecky)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2006, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-notary-notarize-adoption-forms-for-his-own-family/376694/1 "2006-10-16T22:29:32Z")

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Hi there. Quick question - can a Notary Public actually notarize adoption forms for a child their family is adopting? I know a notary can’t do it for personal gain, but there’s really no financial gain to adopting a child, just emotional.

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### Author: ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2006, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-notary-notarize-adoption-forms-for-his-own-family/376694/2 "2006-10-16T22:40:01Z")

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Laws vary from state to state. [In Florida](http://www.suretyware.com/faq.asp#Can%20I%20notarize%20documents%20for%20family%20members), I can notarize documents for my brother, but not for my spouse, mother or father, or any children I might have. So in the case of your question, in Florida it would not be possible, but you could notarize an adoption for a sibling.

I would imagine that most states have similar laws and prohibitions.

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### Author: ![kurilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea5d25/32.png) [@kurilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kurilla)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2006, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-notary-notarize-adoption-forms-for-his-own-family/376694/3 "2006-10-16T23:51:57Z")

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[QUOTE=Shecky]  
Hi there. Quick question - can a Notary Public actually notarize adoption forms for a child their family is adopting? I know a notary can’t do it for personal gain, but there’s really no financial gain to adopting a child, just emotional.  
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I’m a notary, and in my state (Nevada), I cannot notarize my own or any family member’s signature - husband, kids, parents, sibs, inlaws, etc.