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Idk if that dogshit executive order applies to birth certificates or if it’s just passports and other federal identity documents. As far as I’m aware birth certificates are managed by the state and I live in a blue state (Minnesota), so I’m thinking maybe I could but idk.
I’m planning on using my passport that I got a few months ago as one of my supporting documents but I’m worried that it might get confiscated. (My passport has an F on it, my birth certificate currently has an M on it)
A notary is just there to verify the identity of the person signing papers. They really don’t care about anything other than you are who you say you are.
It’s becoming less popular but I used to see convenient stores with “Notary Public” signs everywhere. And they would stamp anything you wanted for $20.
I do get the idea, but I feel like if I’m sending in so many supporting documents, plus a check, that should suffice… I was told that UPS usually has a notary on staff, so that’s my plan!
My experience with updating some of the documents is that some of the requirements seem redundant, not required by law, or made up by the clerk I was dealing with. It’s just an unfortunate aspect of navigating the world as a trans person that they make things difficult for us.
The notary is just a trusted human, using their human abilities to confirm that the human in front of them matches the documents and paperwork they’re presenting. It’s the kind of thing that we’re still better at than computers. It’s a bastion against someone who’s good at fraud stealing your identity by collecting and submitting a bunch of documents.
Random is fine, but if you know others who have done this, you might ask if they liked their notary.
Not all of them do and the hours can vary from the store hours. https://www.theupsstore.com/store-services/notary-services
Unfortunately a notary is a necessary part of almost all government paperwork. If you have a bank you use, they typically also have several on staff.