A notary public is someone who is state-licensed to administer oaths and notarize documents. To do such tasks, the notary public first identifies the signer in person, and then makes sure that the signer is signing the document on his own accord and without any coercion. Having a notary authentication makes your document more secure and more difficult to forge.
Deeds, real estate closings, affidavits and other public documents need a notary’s service.
Anyone older than 18 can apply to become a notary public in New York. The application process costs only $15 and is relatively simple: all you need to do is pass a 40-question multiple choice exam, fill out a form, and take an oath of office. You do not need to be an American Citizen to apply, though you do need to be a New York resident, or someone who owns or operates a business/office there.
Working as a notary public may not pay much by itself, but it saves a lot of money and effort for small businesses to have a notary public on hand. In New York alone, there are more than 200,000 licensed notary publics.