Bring the document unsigned
In most cases you sign in front of the notary. Signing beforehand can mean starting over with a fresh copy, so bring the document complete but unsigned unless your instructions say otherwise.
Everyone signing needs to be there, with photo ID
Every signer needs a current government-issued photo ID: a driver's licence, state ID, passport, or permanent resident card. A notary cannot notarize for someone who is not present, however well you know them.
Each signer also has to understand what they are signing and be signing willingly. If someone seems confused or pressured, a notary has to decline.
What stops a notarization
Blank spaces in the document. An expired ID. A signer who is not present. A document that needs a certificate the notary cannot supply, since choosing the wording is a legal decision. And copies of government-issued records such as birth certificates, which a notary cannot certify. Those come from the office that issued them.
Oregon notaries are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice, choose your form, or explain what a document means.
If your document is going abroad
Tell us the destination country before the appointment. It changes the order of the steps, and sometimes the wording on the notarial certificate. Call (971) 514-3743 and we will tell you what to bring.