Most title companies require using their own notaries for real estate closings to maintain chain of custody, ensure compliance with specific lender instructions, and manage liability. While your own notary is legally valid in Nevada, title companies contractually mandate their selected notaries. Using an unauthorized notary can lead to rejection, closing delays, or escrow complications.

Why Title Companies Insist on Their Notaries:

Title companies coordinate with lenders, insurers, and county recorders—all of whom have specific requirements. They need notarization consistency and direct communication with the notary handling your closing. They also carry errors & omissions (E&O) insurance that covers their contracted notaries, which may not apply to independent notaries.

🔑 Can You Use Your Own Notary?

In rare cases, yes—but only with prior written approval from:

• The title company (may have exceptions for scheduling conflicts)
• Your lender (may require their approval)
• The seller's title company (if using separate title agents)

📋 Legitimate Reasons for Exception Requests:

• Your notary has existing relationship and coordination history
• Title company's notary has scheduling conflicts or excessive travel costs
• Out-of-state remote notarization is the only practical option
• Your notary is bonded, insured, and Nevada-commissioned

⚠️ Best Practice:

Always disclose your preferred notary to the title company early in the transaction. Get written approval in advance. If they refuse and delays occur, professional notaries in Summerlin and Water Street can coordinate with title company staff to facilitate acceptance or serve as backup if needed.

Related Questions

• What Happens If a Deed Is Notarized Incorrectly—Can It Be Fixed?
• How Do You Close Real Estate When Buyer Is Out of State and Can't Attend Closing in Person?
• Why Do Banks Refuse to Notarize Documents They Prepared?

List A documents establish both identity and work authorization, meaning employees presenting a valid List A document need no additional documentation to complete I-9 Section 2. Acceptable List A documents include: U.S. passport (book or card), unexpired foreign passport containing a temporary I-551 stamp or I-551 printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa, Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551, commonly called a "green card"), Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551), unexpired Employment Authorization Document (EAD) issued by DHS (Form I-766 or Form I-688B), and unexpired foreign passport with Form I-94 or Form I-94A indicating refugee or asylum status that authorizes employment. Employers must accept any valid List A document the employee presents and cannot require specific documents or reject valid identification based on personal preference, national origin concerns, or unfamiliarity with document types—such actions constitute illegal discrimination.

Common errors with List A documents include: accepting expired passports or EAD cards without reverification, failing to examine the entire document for obvious fraud indicators like photo inconsistencies or altered expiration dates, recording incorrect document numbers or expiration dates in Section 2 fields, requiring employees with valid U.S. passports to provide additional identity documents, and rejecting foreign passports with valid work authorization because the employer is unfamiliar with I-94 notations or refugee stamps. During I-9 completion, the authorized representative must physically examine the original document (not photocopies), verify the document reasonably appears genuine and relates to the person presenting it, and record the document title, issuing authority, document number, and expiration date in Section 2. Employers should train all authorized representatives on List A document features and anti-discrimination rules to avoid the dual risks of accepting fraudulent documents or illegally rejecting valid ones.

Lake Mead Mobile Notary provides expert I-9 verification services throughout Las Vegas, Henderson, and Clark County with mobile notaries trained in List A document examination. Our authorized representatives recognize all acceptable List A documents, verify authenticity indicators, and complete Section 2 accurately to ensure compliance. We serve employers at Coronado Ridge Skilled Nursing, corporate offices, and remote worker locations, bringing professional document verification expertise that reduces both fraud risk and discrimination liability. This service is especially valuable for HR teams unfamiliar with foreign passport features, refugee documentation, or temporary work authorization stamps that require specialized knowledge to verify correctly.