Visit our Notary Fees page for a free quote for our notary public services. Otherwise, call us on +61 2 9687 8885 to speak with our friendly team about your requirements.

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If you live in New South Wales and you want to use your documents in New South Wales, then in most cases you’ll need to sign your documents or have them certified by a justice of the peace. You can also use a lawyer or a notary public, but unlike a justice of the peace (which is a free service), it’s likely that you’ll need to pay to use a lawyer or notary public. A police officer may be able to witness your signature or certify documents in relation to police matters, but police officers generally cannot witness signatures or certify documents for other legal purposes in New South Wales.

If you live in New South Wales or any other state in Australia, and you want to use your documents in Australia, then there’s a long list of people who can witness or certify your documents for Commonwealth purposes – and this includes a police officer. By comparison, the number of people who can witness or certify your documents for use in New South Wales is relatively limited. Can a police officer witness Queensland mortgage documents?

It depends. A police officer may be able to witness your signature or certify your documents depending on where your documents are going to be used.

If you live in Australia and you want to use your documents in another country, then you generally must have your documents notarised by a notary public. This means if your signature must be witnessed, then your signature must be witnessed by the notary public. If your documents must be certified, then your documents must be certified by the notary public. Police officers generally cannot witness signatures or certify documents intended to be used for legal purposes in other countries.

Ern Phang is a director of Phang Legal and a notary public (since 2005). Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public and the issues faced by his clients in sending documents to countries all over the world.

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This website is maintained by Phang Legal, a boutique law firm in Parramatta and a leading provider of quality notary public services to satisfied clients across Sydney and beyond.

If you have any other questions regarding our notary public services, please contact us or browse our other frequently asked questions:

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If you’re sending your documents to another country overseas and you’ve been asked for your documents to be stamped with an apostille or authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), then your documents must be notarised by a notary public. DFAT does not accept documents signed by other prescribed, qualified or authorised witnesses (including a police officer).

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Sometimes referred to as a ‘prescribed witness’, ‘qualified witness’ or an ‘authorised witness’, a person who is authorised to witness signatures or certify documents depends on whether you’re using your documents in New South Wales (or any other state in Australia) for state purposes, in or across Australia for Commonwealth purposes, or overseas in another country.

If your documents must be stamped with an apostille or authenticated and then legalised, we can help with that too. We’ve also created a flowchart to explain the process.

In Australia, a notary public is a senior lawyer who has completed further qualifications to be admitted as a notary public. This means they have been a practising lawyer for many years and completed further studies before they can become a notary public. Accordingly, a police officer would not be a notary public unless they are also a practising lawyer and have satisfied the requirements (experience and qualifications) to become a notary public as well.

Our office is conveniently located in Parramatta, the geographic centre of the Sydney metropolitan area. We help clients from across Sydney and beyond with personal, professional and timely notary public services.