Why can’t a notary public verify an I-9 in California?

When you get a new job, the I-9 form is a document issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) which is meant to verify your identity and employment eligibility.  

In most states, a prospective employee presents documents for verification, and notary publics are listed as a potential authorized representative to sign off on the prospective employee’s form.  Not so in California.  Unfortunately, many HR staff and even some local notary publics don't seem to know about this law in our state.

The California Secretary of State has made it clear that a notary public may not notarize, complete, or make the certification on Form I-9, even in a non-notarial capacity.  Only a bonded immigration consultant can perform an I-9 verification in California which is a separate certification process.

If you need your I-9 verified, maybe search Google for local immigration consultants.