Which type of document is an example of something a notary cannot notarize?

A notary public is prohibited from notarizing certain types of documents due to specific legal restrictions. One such example is a birth certificate. Birth certificates are vital records maintained by government agencies, typically issued by a state's vital records office. Therefore, these documents cannot be notarized as they are official records that serve as evidence of a person's birth and identity.

Notarization is typically used to verify the identity of signers on documents or to witness the signing of documents in a manner that maintains the integrity of the document. In contrast, business contracts, affidavits, and power of attorney forms are examples of documents that a notary can notarize because these are not vital records and require signature verification for legal transactions.