By Tracy Zwick
For over half a century, family-owned Crown Services on Broadway and West 107th Street has been servicing sewing machines, vacuums, electronics, “and other stuff” for Upper West Siders. Crown also used to be a place you could go to have a notary public witness your signature on a will, a power of attorney, or other important documents.
But Crown stopped offering notary services during COVID, said owner Mark Linde; even after the pandemic, notarizing documents was simply “too time-consuming” he said. With New York notaries statutorily barred from charging more than two dollars per signature, it just didn’t make business sense any more.
After the pandemic, and with the rise of remote online notarization (“RON”), in-person notaries have grown scarce on the UWS. But they haven’t disappeared! WSR took a walk around the neighborhood and made some calls to suss out where and when UWSers could get seen and have their documents stamped by a real-life notary.
If you have a local notary, or live in a notary-free stretch of the UWS, please drop the information in the comments.
Banks: Many banks provide notary services to their customers, and some will help non-customers, too. When I walked into TD Bank on Broadway between West 109th and 110th streets, I was offered immediate access to a notary, even though I don’t bank there. I asked about regular hours for notarizations and was told it depends on when the notary happens to be working each week. TD also offers online notarizations for its customers.
Longtime UWSer and Chase Bank customer Rita Koplin said she’s used Chase Bank’s app to make appointments with notaries. But check if your local branch has a notary; when I asked at the Columbia University branch (on Broadway at West 109th Street) an employee told me there is never a notary at that location.
My own bank, Citi, used to have a notary at the Broadway and West 111th Street location, but it’s been a few years since I’ve found a notary there, or at the Broadway and West 96th Street location. Citi’s website says: “ While some branches may have a notary public available, others might not. It’s always best to call your local branch ahead of time to confirm whether notary services are offered and if an appointment is necessary.”
Bank of America offers free notary services at some locations and instructs clients to make an appointment online.
Financial services companies sometimes offer notaries, but when WSR called Charles Schwab’s Broadway location between West 83rd and 84th streets, a representative said their notary only works on Schwab-related documents. Even Schwab customers can’t get outside documents notarized there.
Stationery Stores: Several UWS stationery and art supply shops have notaries, though be careful – some may try to charge more than the allowed two bucks. West Side Stationers at 2620 Broadway (at the corner of West 99th Street) pretty consistently has a notary. But it’s a good idea to call ahead. The shop’s other UWS location, on the corner of Amsterdam and West 119th Street, has no notary. Janoff’s (2870 Broadway between West 111th and 112th streets) is another reliable spot for a notary. The store confirmed to WSR by phone that their notary is in every day (except Tuesdays) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a lunch break from noon to 1 p.m.
UPS Stores: A representative at the UPS store at West 79th Street and Broadway told WSR that each UPS store location is individually owned and operated, so there is no consistent practice concerning notaries. The location on West 86th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam offers notary services from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, while the location at Broadway and West 79th Street has no notary. The 187 Amsterdam location has a notary, but customers are advised to call to see when the notary will be in.
Visiting Notary: For more personalized service, the UWS has notaries who make house calls. Roberta Arnone, the “Neighborly Notary,” started offering two dollar notarization in her UWS building’s lobby about fifteen years ago. She still does this most days, but contact her in advance to confirm. She’ll also make a house call, for Manhattan locations only. Pricing is per project. Reach out to her via her website for more information.
A Notarizing Checklist
Any time you’re visiting a notary:
- All signees must be present.
- Bring your complete documents to be signed, not just the signature pages.
- Do not sign them in advance.
- Be sure to have valid identification like a driver’s license or passport.
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Groundbreaking stuff here.
That’s an stupid comment…Wait until you need a notary last-minute. You’ll change your tune. Good for Brett Gold to call you out. And thank you, West Side Rag. Good information for the commmunity.
Oops…”a”, “an”. So much for proofing my own work.
🙂
Bill — This is why people, and countries don’t get along — they even have to lace into a very helpful article about notaries — looking to fight. I think the article was very helpful. I’ll call the notary I know and see if she wants to be listed but she makes house calls and it’s very convenient and inexpensive. And what are you doing that’s so groundbreaking Bill?
You are being unduly snarky — the article is extremely useful, and I will bookmark it. Several months ago, my wife and I, who live on 102d Street, needed a document notarized. Knowing that Crown, our usual go-to place, no longer notarized documents, we made our way up Broadway, hitting every bank and stationery store going uptown, striking out each time and not getting much help from the counter people as to where to go locally. Eventually our odyssey ended when we found a place north of Columbia near the Manhattan School of Music that offered notary service. If we had had the above article in hand, we could have saved a couple of hours.
Thank you, West Side Rag.
Yes it is. It is a plain and simple example of how government intervention destroys an industry by killing the smaller companies such that only bigger companies survive. This is called ‘regulatory capture’ and it’s bad for all of us, left or right.
(In this case, it’s worse because the government is also a primary demander of such services.)
Uh…you think we’re living under the thumb of Big Notary?
I am not mocking the point of electing and paying people who harm people in any earnest profession.
Thank you for the laugh!
You’ve never lived in Europe…it is a much more difficult process. Count your blessings.
I’m sure we are “Better than Bad”.
Give the WSR team a break, Bill; it’s the morning after Thanksgiving.
Helpful to some of us
Helpful if you need a notary.
And someday you may need a notary and wish you had this article at hand. Thank you WSR.
We use the notary at Chase on 72nd & Columbus.
She is horrible and won’t do anything other than short documents
I use Citibank but they stopped offering this on West 81 and now direct me to West 86. I believe it’s for customers only. I learned that during Covid there was some big notary incident where documents were forged and it was determined that some notaries were taking their role too lightly so the system was tightened up with required trainings and certifications and many places just stopped offering this service. It does seem to me like this may be one of those antiquated systems that should be revamped given the many digital capabilities that now exist around validating signatures.
I’ve had items notarized at Citi branches on 72nd and 96th streets. Generally need to make an appointment though.
I asked for notary at Citibank (my bank) at Bway and 86th. They no longer had one. I am very disappointed that my bank doesn’t have a notary.
AAA on 62nd and Broadway does it. Don’t have to be a member but it’s free if you are.
Very useful compendium. Thanks. Citibank at 86th and Broadway used to have a notary but no longer does.
As long as notarization is still required, it would be useful to know where we can get it done locally. Perhaps neighbors can share here if they know of a local notary.
Thanks for starting this!
NYS notaries are public officials and may not refuse service to perform a lawful notarial act from anyone who walks in the door.
Tell this to the morons in the basement of the city courthouse, who are supposed to provide notary services *by law* (as in: they’re written into the city code!), but refused to notarize my documents because they were “too complicated” (it was a standard single-signature document that happened to be something they didn’t notarize regularly). I then contacted several other notaries, all of whom had various idiotic and illegal reasons why they couldn’t do their job.
Even if you manage to find a notary, many are too stupid to understand that they are not allowed to interpret the document. They’re just there to validate identity!
I had the same experience. The notary at Chase at 72nd street has no clue what she is doing and prefers not to do it at all.
Thank you! Friends and accessible resources make life easier.
Useful, at least until it all becomes digital. Thanks
There is a notary in the UPS store on 116 th between 5th and Malcolm X blvd. Not exactly on the upper west side but it’s where I moved to from 90th.
I’m still a paid subscriber of the UWS Rag because I love it . It’s so much better than the other local online news. Wish there was a Rag for Harlem.
“ Be careful, they may charge more than the allotted two dollars”
I think we can let down our guard and just be grateful we found a notary.
When I was in the State Assembly, I always had district office staff who were notaries & provided free notarizing. I don’t know if local elected officials do that now.
If you work in finance, law or real estate, it’s highly likely that multiple co-workers are notaries.
Ask around the office before doing the hunt for a rando.
I noticed that sign the other day too and looked twice at it. We go to the bank. TD Bank is usually helpful.
Most, if not all, banks provide notary services for free for their customers. FYI
It’s a catch as catch can with notaries in Banks. They might be in, they might not. I use West Side stationers at 99th and Broadway which is mentioned in this article.
Are Notaries able to do house calls?
It’s expensive to have a notary come to the house but I’m going to call one I know that does come to the house at a very very reasonable cost really for her transportation and her time. I want to ask her permission before giving out her number.
Some do, but it’s expensive. I’m disabled and inquired about the notary coming to my home. The notary was less than 5 miles away from my home. The cost would have been $159 to come to my home and notarize one document. Needless to say, I did not use the service.
See above and I’ll post the number when I reach her. I think she charged me about $20 maybe $30.
Yes. I had a notary come to my apartment during the first year of the pandemic. I found several of them online. But no one here has mentioned that there is virtually no bank in New York who will notarize will documentation (e.g. affidavit by witnesses). This has been true for a long time and I have checked with a lot of banks. Have never been given a truly understandable answer. The notary who came to my home would only do it for my will documentation if a lawyer was present. If anyone knows a bank that will still notarize will documents I would be interested to know of them.
I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the photo of Crown Services — I thought you were going to tell us that Mark was retiring and going out of business. Whew. He has kept my sewing machine and vacuums going forever.
As for notaries, I asked at my closest Chase branch a while back and was told they have a traveling notary who does a regular rotation between branches. Came back on the prescribed day and got the job done.
Yes, crown service does everything! Repairs broken furniture, repairs treasured lamps, etc I love that store!
If they don’t do it, they’ll refer you to someone!
Very helpful.
Goldleaf Stationary on Amsterdam offers notary services and is a great store to suppprt – good selection of pens, notebooks, cards and gifts.
Yes! I want to recommend them highly! But they might be weekday only. I also agree with Deirdre that it’s a great store, and a fun place to browse, and that I try to buy something when I go there for a notary.
Yes, there is a notary at Goldleaf Stationary, and it is a fantastic store! Whenever I go there for the notary, I end up purchasing something: art supplies, greeting cards, stickers, special-sized envelopes, file folders, games. And they usually free mini Tootsie Rolls at the cashier!
When you need one, this is good to know. Often a clock it ticking to get something registered that requires a notary. UPS W 86th is my go to place.
Small correction to a very helpful article … “TD also offers online notarizations for its customers.” I do not think this is so. The link provided is to an outside company. TD only offers in-person notarization.
If we use UPS for a notary- and sometimes for a witness if that’s necessary in addition to the notary- we leave a tip. I wouldn’t tip at my bank, but that feels different somehow. But be aware, if you ever need to contact the notary and/or witness to attest to the signature, it can be hard to find them at the UPS store even a couple of years later. So maybe for wills or other documents like that, use your bank.
Don’t forget Goldleaf Stationers on Amsterdam between 89th-90th for a notary. Very reasonably priced and you’re supporting a small business!
And they are nice people besides! I try to pop in there and get something whenever I can.
Most bank officers at TD Banks are notaries, though some only have notaries on site on certain days. And as noted in the article, not all TD Banks require that you have account in order to use their notaries. I have had success with the branch at 74th/Bway, as well as (slightly lesser) success at 88th/Bway.
Last time I was there, I learned there is a notary at Metro Frame Art (W 92nd between Broadway & Amsterdam). Call ahead.
Metro Frame Art has moved to the UES.
Ah, thank you.
Dannys II on WEA and 64rth-65/th has boat public on some days
The NYS law has changed. Courts will no longer require notarized (sworn affidavits) in any civil proceedings.
This is a step in the right direction. One of the problems, now slowly being addressed, is what I call overnotarization. Another issue has been flagged by Adam Smith a few comments back and that is notaries who think they just understand a document for notarizing a signature. The notary’s job is to authenticate a signature, not analyze the document.
Requiring notarization when it is not legally required just creates an incentive for careless or improper notarization. Every coop apartment corporation proprietary lease I have seen as notary authenticated signatures. There is no legal need for a lease that will never be recorded to be notarized and as some of the commenters have noted there are other ways to authenticate signatures.
Wills are a special problem because a will requires two witnesses and a “self-proving” affidavit signed by the witnesses. All persons involved, the testator, the witnesses and the notary must be present together and execute the document in the sight of each other. The self-proving affidavit is a simple form that says something to the effect that the testator knew what was being done, could understand English and in the opinion of the witness was mentally capable of making a will. It is asking a lot of a bank or a store to do all that.
I needed to put wet signatures on family estate documents and ask a friend to witness so I had to find a human notary too. Family estate docs can be complicated and my attorney required the in-person procedure. The UPS store at 187 Amsterdam Avenue between 68th-69th has a friendly notary service 2 days a week with certain hours. Call ahead 212-362-3740
Thank you for this information. Recently I wondered from one place to another trying to get some documents notarized not knowing services had been stopped.
Judging by the other comments, many have also had to get documents notarized and have noticed what the Rag has, that the notary services have dwindled. Therefore, this article is providing useful and timely information.
Just wondering, Bill, do you ever have anything positive to say? Not every article in The NY Times or any other news outlet is “groundbreaking” so why should the Rag have to live up to such an up surd standard? Your comments are almost always exhaustingly negative for no apparent reason. Just relax and eat some leftovers.
The notary at the UPS store at 79th and Broadway was terrific. She then moved to the UPS on 72nd Street west of Broadway. Just call first to see if she is there.
Helpful article!
TD at 109th and Broadway has notaries.
I have been a Citibank customer for years and have never found a notary at any of their UWS branches, which includes at least 5 different branches.
Janoffs, the stationery store on broadway between 111 and 112 has a notary I’ve used several times.
Gold Leaf Stationers on Amsterdam between 89th and 90th.
There’s a notary at Gold Leaf Stationers on Amsterdam between 89th and 90th. Also a notary operates out of Metro Frame Art on w. 92nd just east of Broadway.
The UPS store on 72 between Columbus and Amsterdam has a notary in the mornings on some days. Call to confirm
Hello! I’m a local UWS notary able to do e-notarizations as well as in-person physical notaries. I’ll travel to you too (for a fee)! If you’re interested / want to hear about rates, please email me at bmaltz730@gmail.com.
Thank you!
At home notary service: I just called and got permission to post: Shirley Williams 646-715-5294
swilliamms54@gmail.com
Call for pricing because it depends on the number of documents, and your location but she’s very very reasonable.
New Amsterdam Drug Mart on 93rd and Amsterdam has Notary services.
And he charges only the correct allowed fee.
New Amsterdam Pharmacy has a notary
While on the subject of notaries, the one in UPS refused to notarize my signature because the document was not in English and she couldn’t understand it I always believed that the notary just notarized my signature and the content of the document didn’t mater. Fortunately, the manager of my coop agreed with me and notarized it. Which brings my comment closer to the subject of the article: you may want to try your building office. There is often someone there, who can serve as a notary. Usually, it is to deal with the building related issues but if they are nice, they can do you a favor and notarize something unrelated as well.
A notary is not just “notarizing” a signature. Typically, they are either taking sworn testimony in the form of an affidavit, in which case they administer an oath to the affiant, or receiving and certifying an acknowledgment of a written instrument in which the person before the notary acknowledges that they are the person named in the instrument and that they executed it. In order for the notary to properly notarize the document, they need to know what type of document it is and whether the notarial certificate is in the correct form, so if a document is in a foreign language, they wouldn’t be able to make that determination. I would not notarize a document if I wasn’t able to ascertain what it was and what it required.
Very helpful article! Another source: if you are a member of online local interest groups, (such as “Being Neighborly-UWS” on Facebook, or Nextdoor.com), you can post, “help I need a notary!” and individual notaries will often reply that they’ll take care of you if you stop by their home or office. Even though I am posting here anonymously, I can attest that I am one of them. And I will abide by the legally-imposed $2/signature fee, if you come to my place…
Numerous public libraries offer notary services without charge.
Could you please name a specific one?
Your portrayal of Crown Services is unnecessarily negative.
It provides reliable, affordable repair services.
They aren’t in the notary business.
Janoffs Stationary at 111th and B’way never charges more than the requisite amount. Also you can pickup a fabulous fountain pen or architectural supplies while you are there. Plus they are professional and friendly.
Funeral homes also have notaries.
It’s definitely hit or miss, but the UPS store on Broadway and 97th has one on site. You just have to make sure of their hours in any given weekday since they can change.
Roberta is very professional, prompt and a great resource for the neighborhood. Would recommend 1000%.
Bank of America on 97th and Broadway has a (very nice!) notary and it’s free for customers. You can make an appointment online on the BofA site. They are also open on Saturday!
You can contact Notarize With Norm for mobile notary services! https://notarizewithnorm.com
Janoff’s, the stationery and art-supply store on the east side of Broadway between 111 and 112, has a Notary.