Loan & Contract Notarization
Notary Stamp Scarborough
Witnessing Signatures on Agreements, Guarantees and Resolutions
Most contracts in Ontario need no notary at all. An agreement is binding because the parties agreed to it, and adding a seal does not change what it says. What a notary adds is proof of the signing itself: that a named person, identified from photo identification, signed this document on this date in front of an officer who recorded it. When a deal later turns on whether a signature is genuine, that record is the difference between an argument and a fact.
That is why the documents that reach this office are the ones with money or authority behind them — a private loan between family members, a promissory note, a personal guarantee on a lease or a line of credit, a settlement between former partners, a corporate resolution a bank has asked to see. Some of them have to be in writing and signed before a court will enforce them at all, and the page below sets out which ones and why.
Bring the document unsigned, bring photo identification for everyone signing, and bring the original of anything that needs certifying as a true copy. Fees are $20 per signature, set by the number of notarization signatures rather than the number of pages or documents, and if you email the file we print it free of charge on site.
Proudly serving Scarborough, Toronto, Markham, Vaughan, Mississauga, Richmond Hill, Pickering, Ajax and clients across Ontario.
Why Borrowers, Lenders and Businesses Come to Us
- A notary public and a commissioner for taking affidavits — both seals in one appointment
- Multi-party signings handled together, so a guarantee and the agreement it backs are witnessed the same day
- Certified true copies, so the signed original stays with you
- Contracts bound for another country prepared for the apostille step that follows
- Open 7 days a week, walk-ins welcome, free printing and copying on site
Loan and Contract Notarization — What the Seal Actually Does
What notarizing a contract proves, and what it does not
Notarizing a contract proves the signing, not the bargain. The notary identifies the signer from photo identification, watches the signature being made, and records the date in a register. It is evidence of who signed and when. It does not make an unfair term fair, does not make an unenforceable agreement enforceable, and is not a review of what the contract says.
This matters because people arrive expecting the opposite. A contract in Ontario binds the parties because they agreed to it, and the overwhelming majority of agreements are signed without a notary anywhere near them. The seal earns its place in a narrow set of situations: where a statute requires writing and a signature, where an institution or a foreign authority demands notarization before it will act, and where the parties expect a dispute later and want the signing put beyond argument in advance.
The agreements Ontario law requires to be in writing and signed
Section 4 of Ontario’s Statute of Frauds is the reason a handshake is not always enough. It says that no action shall be brought to charge a person upon a special promise to answer for the debt, default or miscarriage of another person, or upon a contract for the sale of land or an interest in land, unless the agreement — or a memorandum or note of it — is in writing and signed by the party to be charged, or by someone lawfully authorised by them.
In plain terms: a guarantee has to be in writing and signed by the guarantor before a court will enforce it. That is the single most common reason a signature on a contract gets witnessed here. Someone is backing another person’s loan, lease or line of credit, and the party relying on that promise wants the signing documented properly rather than discovering a problem with it two years later. Section 6 of the same Act adds that such a promise is not invalid merely because the consideration for it does not appear in writing.
Loan agreements and promissory notes: the interest rule that catches lenders out
Private lending has one federal trap in it that surprises almost everyone who has not met it before. Under section 4 of the Interest Act, where a written contract makes interest payable at a rate for any period less than a year — per day, per week, per month — no interest above five per cent per annum is chargeable, payable or recoverable on any part of the principal unless the contract contains an express statement of the equivalent yearly rate. Mortgages on real property are excepted from that section.
Section 3 of the same Act sets the default: where interest is payable but no rate is fixed by the agreement or by law, the rate is five per cent per annum. So a loan document that says "2% per month" and stops there is not a 24% loan — and a sum already paid on interest that was not chargeable under section 4 can be recovered back or deducted from principal or interest under section 5. None of that is notarial work, and none of it is something to sort out at the counter. If the document sets a rate, have it drafted or reviewed by a lawyer before the signing appointment.
A signed acknowledgment of a debt restarts the limitation clock
Ontario’s Limitations Act, 2002 sets a basic limitation period of two years from the day a claim was discovered. Section 13 then does something people rarely expect: where a person acknowledges liability for a claim to pay a liquidated sum, the act or omission the claim is based on is deemed to have taken place on the day the acknowledgment was made — and subsection 10 requires that acknowledgment to be in writing and signed by the person making it or their agent. Part payment of the sum has the same effect under subsection 11.
That is why an acknowledgment of debt, a payment plan or a renewed promissory note between private parties is worth signing properly rather than by text message. The document has to reach the person with the claim, their agent, or a receiver or trustee under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, before the limitation period expires, for section 13 to apply at all. Which document fits a particular situation is a legal question, not a notarial one.
Corporate resolutions, and why the bank asks for a certified copy rather than the original
A corporation acts by resolution, and Ontario’s Business Corporations Act lets that happen on paper without a meeting. Section 129(1) says a resolution in writing signed by all the directors entitled to vote on it at a meeting of directors is as valid as if it had been passed at a meeting; section 104(1) does the same for shareholders. Both sections require a copy of the resolution to be kept with the minutes — which is precisely why the original stays in the minute book and a certified true copy is what goes out to the bank, the registry or the counterparty.
A certified true copy is a photocopy the notary has compared against the original document produced in front of them and certified as a true reproduction of it. The original has to be physically present. A scan, a phone photograph or an existing certified copy cannot be used as the source. Our certified true copies page covers that service on its own, and a signing for a company usually combines the two: a resolution or an incumbency document witnessed, and certified copies of the corporate records that go with it.
Signing electronically, and the documents Ontario’s e-commerce Act leaves out
Ontario’s Electronic Commerce Act, 2000 is what allows most agreements to be signed electronically and still satisfy a legal requirement for writing and signature. Section 31(1) lists the documents it does not apply to: wills and codicils; trusts created by wills or codicils; powers of attorney to the extent they concern an individual’s financial affairs or personal care; and negotiable instruments, a category that includes promissory notes and bills of exchange. Documents of title are also outside it, except for section 23 on contracts for the carriage of goods.
Two practical consequences follow. A promissory note is not a document to sign with an e-signature platform on the strength of that Act. And a signature that has to be witnessed has to be made in the presence of the person witnessing it — bring the document unsigned, because one already signed at home cannot be witnessed and has to be redone. Note that the paragraph excluding land-transfer documents from the Act was repealed effective July 1, 2015, so the current list is the one above, not the version still repeated on a good deal of the internet.
Contracts that leave Canada
A contract signed in Scarborough for use by a foreign bank, registry, employer or court usually needs more than a notarial seal. Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention on January 11, 2024: for a destination country inside the Convention a single apostille certificate replaced the old authentication-and-legalisation chain, and for a country outside it the consular route still applies. Our apostille page sets out both paths.
Get the requirement from the receiving institution in writing before anything is signed here. They set the form, the language and frequently the exact wording, and a document produced in the wrong form has to be redone from this end — which costs a second appointment and a second apostille. Where the contract needs a sworn statement attached rather than a witnessed signature, our statutory declarations page explains what that involves.
Contract Documents and Where the Notarial Step Fits
| The document | What the law actually requires | What we do with it |
|---|---|---|
| Guarantee or suretyship | In writing and signed by the guarantor — Statute of Frauds, s. 4 | Identify the guarantor and witness the signature |
| Loan agreement or promissory note | An express yearly rate if interest runs per month or week — Interest Act, s. 4 | Witness the signatures; the wording is drafted before the appointment |
| Acknowledgment of debt or payment plan | In writing and signed, to engage s. 13 of the Limitations Act, 2002 | Witness the signature, or commission it as a sworn statement |
| Directors’ or shareholders’ resolution | Signed by all those entitled to vote — Business Corporations Act, ss. 129, 104 | Witness signatures and certify true copies for the bank or registry |
| Settlement or separation of a business | Written and signed; the terms are a matter for a lawyer | Witness the signatures of every party present |
| Contract for use in another country | Notarized, then apostilled or legalised for the destination | Notarize, then set up the apostille step |
| Corporate records and identification | Compared against the original produced in person | Certify as true copies |
Not sure which line your document is on? Call 416-951-3301 and read us the sentence the bank, lender or foreign authority sent you — that usually settles it in under a minute.
How It Works
Call or Book
Call 416-951-3301 or send us a message. We are open 7 days a week, including evenings by arrangement.
Visit the Office
Bring a valid government-issued photo ID and your unsigned documents. Free printing and copying is available on site.
Signed & Sealed
Your documents are witnessed, signed, and sealed on the spot — most visits take just a few minutes.
What to Bring for a Contract or Loan Signing
- The document unsigned — a signature has to be made in front of the witness
- Valid photo ID for every signer — Passport or Driver’s License
- Everyone who has to sign — including any guarantor
- The original of anything that needs certifying as a true copy
- The corporate records — minute book or resolution, if a company is signing
- The instructions from the bank, lender or institution that asked for notarization
- The destination country, if the contract is leaving Canada
Free document printing and copying available on site. We accept Cash and e-Transfer.
Service Fees at a Glance
| Service | Fee (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Notarization of Documents | $20 first document · $15 each (2–5) · $10 each (5+) |
| Certification of Documents (Certified True Copies) | $20 first document · $15 each (2–4) · $10 each (5+) |
| Degree & Transcript Certification | $20 first document · $15 each (2–4) · $10 each (5+) |
| Commissioning (Oaths & Declarations) | $20 first document · $15 each (2–4) · $10 each (5+) |
| Consent to Travel Letters (child travel) | $20 per signature |
| Affidavits | $70 |
| Statutory Declarations | $20 per signature |
| OSAP Affidavits (student aid) | $20 per signature |
| Power of Attorney | $70 |
| Wills & Estate Documents | $20 per signature |
| Real Estate & Deed Documents | $20 per signature |
| Loan & Contract Notarization | $20 per signature |
| Single Status Declaration (marriage abroad) | $20 per signature |
| Letters of Invitation | $70 |
| Apostille | $100 |
| Travel Documents (Lieu of Guarantor) | Price upon request |
| Immigration Consulting | Price upon request |
| Landlord & Tenant Board Matters | Price upon request |
| Small Claims Court | Price upon request |
| Criminal Case | Contact for details |
Fees are determined by the number of notarization signatures, not the number of documents. Free printing and copying. We accept Cash and e-Transfer.
What Our Clients Say
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does a contract have to be notarized to be legally binding in Ontario?
Generally no. A contract binds the parties because they agreed to it, and most agreements are signed without a notary involved. Notarization proves the signing — who signed, on what date, identified from photo identification. It is used where a statute requires writing and a signature, where an institution or a foreign authority asks for it, or where the parties want the signing put beyond argument in advance.
Do you write or review the contract for me?
No. We identify the signers, witness the signatures, certify copies against originals and commission sworn statements, and we check that what you bring is complete and correctly signed. We do not draft contracts and we do not supply legal wording. Where the terms carry legal consequences — interest, security, a guarantee, a release — that is a conversation for a lawyer before anything is signed.
Does a personal guarantee have to be in writing?
Section 4 of the Statute of Frauds says no action shall be brought to charge a person upon a special promise to answer for the debt, default or miscarriage of another person unless the agreement, or a memorandum or note of it, is in writing and signed by the party to be charged or someone lawfully authorised by them. That is why guarantees are the contracts most often brought in for witnessing.
I am lending money to a relative. What should the document say about interest?
That is a question for a lawyer, not a notary, but one rule is worth knowing before you draft anything. Under section 4 of the Interest Act, where a written contract makes interest payable at a rate for a period shorter than a year, no interest above five per cent per annum is recoverable unless the contract states the equivalent yearly rate expressly. Mortgages on real property are excepted. Where no rate is fixed at all, section 3 sets it at five per cent per annum.
Can I sign the agreement at home and bring it in to be stamped?
Not where the signature itself is being witnessed — a witnessed signature has to be made in the presence of the person witnessing it, so bring the document unsigned. If what you need is a certified copy of an already-signed document, that is different: bring the signed original and we can certify copies against it.
Can a promissory note be signed electronically?
Ontario’s Electronic Commerce Act, 2000 supports electronic signatures for most documents, but section 31 lists exceptions, and negotiable instruments — the category promissory notes and bills of exchange fall into — are on that list, alongside wills, testamentary trusts and powers of attorney concerning financial affairs or personal care. Ask a lawyer how that applies to your document before relying on an e-signature platform for it.
The bank wants a certified copy of our corporate resolution. Can you do that?
Yes, provided the original comes with you. The Business Corporations Act requires a copy of a written resolution to be kept with the minutes, so the original normally stays in the minute book and a certified true copy is what goes out. The notary compares the photocopy against the original produced in person and certifies it as a true reproduction. A scan or an existing certified copy cannot be used as the source.
How much does it cost and do I need an appointment?
Fees are $20 per signature, and the fee is set by the number of notarization signatures rather than the number of documents or pages. Walk-ins are welcome seven days a week, and if you email the document we print it free of charge on site. For a signing with several parties, call ahead at 416-951-3301 so everyone is expected at the same time.
How much does Loan & Contract Notarization cost?
Service fee: $20 per signature. Fees are determined by the number of notarization signatures, not the number of documents. We accept Cash and e-Transfer.
Do I need an appointment?
We are open 7 days a week: Mon – Fri: 10:00 am – 6:30 pm, Sat – Sun: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Call 416-951-3301 before visiting so we can have everything ready — same-day and last-minute visits are usually no problem.
What should I bring?
A valid government-issued photo ID (Passport or Driver’s License) and your documents, unsigned — the notary must witness your signature. If you need certified copies, bring the original documents. Free printing and copying is available.
What areas do you serve?
Yes. Our office at 1225 Kennedy Road, Scarborough, Ontario, M1P 4Y1, Suite 2000, Unit #2020 serves Scarborough, Toronto, Markham, Vaughan, Mississauga, Richmond Hill, Pickering, Ajax and clients from across Ontario.
Official Resources
- Statute of Frauds (Ontario) — section 4, agreements that must be in writing and signed
- Interest Act (Canada) — sections 3 and 4, the yearly-rate rule
- Electronic Commerce Act, 2000 (Ontario) — section 31, documents the Act does not apply to
- Business Corporations Act (Ontario) — sections 104 and 129, resolutions in writing
- Limitations Act, 2002 (Ontario) — sections 4 and 13, the basic period and acknowledgments
- Notaries Act (Ontario)
Fast & Reliable Notary Services
- 416-951-3301
- kershtein@gmail.com
- 1225 Kennedy Road, Scarborough, Ontario, M1P 4Y1, Suite 2000, Unit #2020
- Mon – Fri: 10:00 am – 6:30 pm
- Sat – Sun: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm