Does an authorization letter need to be notarized?
Notarize it when the recipient requires a notarized letter or the form includes a notarial certificate. The person granting authority is the signer.
Document Guides
Authorization Letter Notarization: How to Get a Letter of Authorization Notarized Online
When a recipient asks for a notarized authorization letter, the person granting the authority is typically the signer whose signature receives the notarial act.
iRemoteNotary Editorial Team
Published and reviewed by iRemoteNotary
Last reviewed October 9, 2026
Quick Answer
Who signs a notarized authorization letter?
If a bank, government agency, school, property office, employer, business, or other recipient has asked for a notarized authorization letter, the person granting the authority is typically the signer whose signature receives the required notarial act.
The letter normally identifies who grants authority, who receives it, what that person may do, and any dates or limits. The notary notarizes the grantor’s signature. The notary does not create the authority or decide whether the recipient will accept the letter.
Use the recipient’s form when they supply one. Leave the grantor’s signature unsigned until the session.
Notarize the authorization letter the recipient asked for
Have the unsigned authorization letter?
The person granting authority appears for the notarial act.
What Part of an Authorization Letter Gets Notarized?
| Item | What happens |
|---|---|
| Authorizer’s signature | This is the signature that receives the notarial act |
| The authority itself | Created by the letter’s words, not by the notary seal |
| Authorized person’s identity | Named in the letter; that person usually does not sign |
| Recipient acceptance | Decided by the bank, agency, school, or office that asked for the letter |
Where Institutions Already Require a Notarized Authorization Letter
These are examples of real workflows, not a claim that every office uses the same rule.
New York City’s HHS Accelerator authorization-letter instructions say the letter must be an original on organization letterhead, include the authorized signatories and an authorized board representative, and be notarized. Signatures and the notary stamp must be clear.
The City of Hialeah’s permit requirements say a commercial tenant applying for a permit must provide an original, signed, and notarized authorization letter from the property owner or corporate president. A condominium application needs an association authorization letter with the president’s signature notarized.
Read the current instruction from the office that will rely on your letter. A city example is evidence of how recipients write the requirement. It is not a reason to treat every authorization letter as a Florida filing.
Common Types of Notarized Authorization Letters
| Use | Common signer | What the recipient may require |
|---|---|---|
| Document pickup | Person who controls the document | Notarized grantor signature and the pickup person’s name |
| Record retrieval | Record subject or legal representative | Written permission plus ID |
| Property agent | Owner | Notarized owner consent for a stated task |
| Permit agent | Owner or corporate officer | Notarized authorization to apply |
| Business representative | Officer or owner | Letter on letterhead naming the representative |
| Corporate signatory | Board representative | Notarized authorization of named signers |
| Vehicle-related authorization | Registered owner | Owner signature and the permitted act |
| School records | Parent or eligible student | School’s own release form when supplied |
| Government representative | Person the agency names | The agency’s authorization format |
| Contractor representative | Owner | Scope of work the contractor may discuss or file |
| Limited administrative authority | Person granting the task | A written limit and an end date |
| Bank form, where accepted | Account holder | The bank’s form, not a substitute letter |
Recipient already named the signer?
Send that unsigned letter.
Authorization Letter vs. Power of Attorney
| Comparison | Authorization letter | Power of attorney |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A letter granting a stated permission | An instrument appointing an agent |
| Typical signer | Person granting the permission | Principal |
| When it is used | The recipient accepts a letter | The recipient or the task requires a power of attorney |
A consent letter or affidavit is also different: consent gives permission, and an affidavit states facts under oath. A corporate resolution is a company act, not a personal authorization letter. See power of attorney online notarization and what a notarized letter is.
The 4 Things to Confirm Before Notarizing an Authorization Letter
- Who grants the authority?
- What are they authorizing?
- Who will rely on the letter?
- What signing or notarization instructions did that recipient provide?
Use the answers to finish the letter. Then book the session for the grantor’s signature.
Acknowledgment or Jurat
Many notarized authorization letters use an acknowledgment: the signer acknowledges signing the letter. Some recipients ask for a jurat because the signer is swearing to the contents. If the letter does not show a certificate and the recipient did not name one, the signer and the recipient decide which act is required before the session.
Can I Notarize a U.S. Authorization Letter While Overseas?
Eligible letters used for a U.S. document pickup, a records submission, property-management authorization, a business representative, or another administrative task can be reviewed for remote online notarization while the grantor is outside the United States. Identity verification and the recipient’s acceptance of a remote notarization are separate from whether the letter itself is eligible.
Outside the U.S.? Contact iRemoteNotary on WhatsApp at +1 (305) 608-4003 for international scheduling, document review, and time-zone coordination: https://wa.me/13056084003?text=Hello%2C%20I%20need%20a%20U.S.%20authorization%20letter%20notarized%20while%20I%20am%20outside%20the%20United%20States.
Grantor outside the United States?
Message WhatsApp with the unsigned letter and the recipient’s instruction.
How to Get an Authorization Letter Notarized Online
What you’ll need
- Unsigned authorization letter
- Photo ID for each grantor who must sign
- Recipient instructions
- Names of the person receiving authority
- Use the recipient’s form if one was supplied.
- Complete the letter content.
- Keep the required signature unsigned.
- Send the full document.
- Choose a time.
- Verify identity.
- Complete the notarization.
- Deliver the document using the recipient’s instructions.
Before You Submit the Completed Authorization Letter
Not every authorization is notarized. Notarize this one because the recipient asked for a notarial act, or because their form prints a certificate. A completed notarization does not force the recipient to accept the letter, does not replace a power of attorney when one is required, and does not authorize acts the letter does not describe. Two people can grant authority on one letter when each grantor appears for the signature the certificate covers. The authorized person can be in another state or country; that person usually does not appear for the notarization.
There is no universal expiration date. Use the date or tenure the recipient requested. A bank authorization letter can be notarized when that bank accepts a notarized letter or supplies a form with a notarial certificate. If the bank requires its own medallion or a different process, follow the bank.
Frequently asked questions
Who signs an authorization letter?
The person granting the authority signs. The person who receives the authority is named in the letter.
Whose signature gets notarized?
The authorizer’s signature. The notary does not notarize the authority itself.
Does the authorized person have to be present?
Usually no. The grantor appears for the notarial act unless the recipient’s form also requires the other person’s signature.
Can an authorization letter be notarized online?
Yes, when the letter is eligible for remote online notarization and the recipient accepts that method.
Can it be notarized while overseas?
A grantor outside the United States can request a review for a U.S. remote session. Recipient acceptance is confirmed separately.
Should I sign before the session?
Leave the signature that will be notarized unsigned until the notary instructs you to sign.
Is an authorization letter the same as a power of attorney?
No. A letter grants the permission it describes. A power of attorney is a different instrument. Use the document the recipient requires.
Can two people grant authority?
Yes, when both grantors sign and each required signature is covered by the notarial act.
Can the authorized person be in another state or country?
Yes. The letter can name a person who is somewhere else. That does not by itself require that person to join the notarization.
Does an authorization letter expire?
Only if the letter or the recipient sets a date or says it lasts for a person’s tenure. There is no universal expiration.
Can a bank authorization letter be notarized?
It can when the bank accepts that form. If the bank requires a different process, use the bank’s process.
Sources and Official References
The following primary sources support the legal and procedural information in this guide. Requirements can change, so confirm current rules with the receiving organization before relying on a notarized document.
HHS Accelerator authorization letter instructions(opens in a new tab)
City of New York
Accessed October 9, 2026
Permit Application Requirements(opens in a new tab)
City of Hialeah
Accessed October 9, 2026
Notarial Certificates/Statements(opens in a new tab)
Florida Department of State
Accessed September 19, 2026
Notarize the grantor’s signature
Bring the recipient’s form and leave the signature blank.