Most VA forms don’t need a notary at all. When one does, California law says a notary can’t charge a fee to notarize a U.S. military veteran’s application or claim for a pension, compensation, insurance or other veteran’s benefit.
That matters in West LA, home to the West Los Angeles VA campus on Wilshire and Sawtelle and to thousands of veterans and their families in Sawtelle, Brentwood, Palms and Mar Vista. Here’s how the notary side of VA paperwork usually works.
Does your VA form even need a notary?
Usually not. Most VA claim forms are signed by the veteran and submitted without notarization. A notary tends to come in for the paperwork around a claim rather than the claim itself:
- A sworn statement or affidavit from a family member, friend or fellow service member, when the person asking for it wants it notarized.
- A power of attorney so a spouse or adult child can handle the veteran’s banking, bills or property while the veteran is in the hospital.
- An advance health care directive for a veteran who is being treated or admitted.
- Documents a state agency, county office or private insurer asks to be notarized as part of a benefits question.
If the form doesn’t have a notary section and nobody has asked for one, ask the office that requested it before you book. A county veterans service officer can also tell you what a claim needs, at no charge.
What the no-fee rule covers
Under California Government Code section 6107, referenced in the notary fee law, no notary fee may be charged to a veteran for notarizing an application or claim for a pension, allotment, allowance, compensation, insurance or any other veteran’s benefit. It applies to the notarization of that benefit paperwork. It doesn’t cover a power of attorney or a trust that happens to belong to a veteran.
Tell us when you book that the document is a veteran’s benefit claim, so we can note it. Our travel fee is separate from the notary fee; see our Policies for how travel pricing works.
If the veteran is at the West LA VA Medical Center
We can come to the bedside. Before you book, check with the unit about visiting hours and whether the veteran is alert and able to take part. The veteran needs to understand what they’re signing and sign willingly, and needs acceptable ID: a driver’s license or ID card, a passport, or a military ID among others, current or issued within the last five years. More in our guide to the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.
Before the appointment
- Fill in every blank. A notary can’t notarize a document with empty spaces that should be completed.
- Don’t sign a sworn statement early. If it’s a jurat, you sign in front of the notary.
- Bring every signer. Each person whose signature is notarized must be there with their own ID.
We’re notaries, not benefits advisors. For which forms to file or how to word a statement, talk to the VA, a county veterans service officer or an accredited representative.
Need a notary? We come to you anywhere in Los Angeles County, 24/7 by appointment. Book online or call (424) 484-9268.