TKS Mobile Notary

10/08/2026

These are great guidelines for not only a notary, but great questions to ask/have prepared for an individual reaching out to a notary.

Another big question to be aware of, are witnesses needed? Not all individuals have witnesses available, sometimes a notary can provide a witness(es) for an extra fee, and always remember, if a signer is in a hospital or senior location, staff cannot always act as a witness.

Got a new Notary client? Here’s how to handle the intake call. 📞

A strong Notary intake call helps you gather the information you need before the appointment — from the client’s contact information and meeting location to documents, signers, identification, fees, and payment.

When a potential client calls, remember to:

📋 Collect their basic contact and appointment details
📍 Confirm the signing location and any special instructions
📄 Ask about the documents and number of signers
🪪 Make sure signers know to bring acceptable identification
💵 Review your Notary and travel fees
📅 Confirm the final appointment details

And remember: If the signer doesn’t know which type of notarization they need, don’t choose the notarial act for them.

Want an easier way to keep track of everything? Download our FREE Notary Intake Call Checklist and use it to prepare for your next client appointment.

🔗 Find the checklist at https://bit.ly/472N8Bb

10/07/2026

Why is TKS Mobile Notary successful? Because people trust me.

I met Ahmed this morning at 7am. He had driven through the night from Virginia because he needed a true copy statement made on his JOD. When he called me last Friday, I discussed with him completing the signing via RON, after which I could print off the document and have it Apostilled (MI will Apostille RON notarizations). He declined and instead wanted to make the drive. He felt better having original wet signatures.

He had no reason to trust me because he did not know me. He drove 15 hours to meet someone who he had talked to on the phone once and had texted multiple times. He told me he did not know if I would really show up this morning, but something told him to trust me, I would be there, I would help him (his words). He texted me two hours early (our appointment was originally scheduled for 9am) and said he was there. I met him within 10 minutes. We sat at McDonalds and notarized his true copy statement for his JOD. I took his original. He completed the application for a Record of Divorce from the State of Michigan Vital Records office because I have an appointment there tomorrow to pick up the state record for him. After that appointment I will have both documents Apostilled for him and then meet him in East Lansing to give him the originals. (Since he was not from the area, he asked if I knew of a local Mosque for prayer and guidance on where to stay. I told him of the Islamic Center of East Lansing)

He trusted me because I communicated clearly and quickly. He trusted me because he understood I know my job and I am very good at it. He trusted me because I asked him the right questions and gave him the right answers to his questions. He trusted me because he read my reviews and has seen other people say the same things. He trusted me because he understood this is my career, I try to help in any way I can, and I treat others how I want to be treated.

10/02/2026

As a small business owner, work never stops, even when having trigger finger release surgery. It may slow me down some (ok a lot) but I have been practicing my signature before yesterday’s surgery and will practice all weekend since I have closings scheduled for Monday. I will not work as many closings the next couple weeks, but thankfully I do have a team of great title companies, loan officers & real estate agents that were aware of the upcoming surgery and are already prepared for my slower closing times.

Here’s to working with amazing teams and to making a quick recovery!

09/30/2026

So I had a new one recently. I was performing a RON signing for a Michigan resident who was currently in another country. He needed a few documents notarized with a true copy statement, no big deal.

We connected on-line and started our session. He passed the ID check requirements with no problem, and then we moved to the facial identification section. After three failures (change the lighting, take off the glasses & head covering, change to an iPhone instead of desktop), the client tells me he had some plastic surgery a couple months ago 😅 I asked to see his ID up close to the camera. There was definitely a resemblance, however, you could tell there were a couple very minor changes. It was enough to not pass biometrics though.

Moral to the story, if a client has had plastic surgery (or physically changed their appearance greatly from their identification) they may want to advise the notary before meeting on the platform and consider utilizing KBA questions.

09/29/2026

Currently sitting at MDHHS waiting to pick up a birth certificate and marriage license for different clients and decided to check VitalChek on-line wait time for ordering vital records from Michigan. 50-60 days without “will call” or “express” options available. I do wonder about that timeframe though, because I still know of 2 clients that have been waiting since May and August to receive their birth certificates.

If you need assistance, or know someone that does, feel free to call or email me!

517-974-8753 or [email protected]

09/15/2026

PSA: Historically, TKS Mobile Notary has been able to retrieve MI Vital records with a guaranteed 2-5 business day turn around. Recently this has become challenging as the State of Michigan has gotten extremely backlogged with their orders.

While I was in the office today, I asked the question why the “Will Call” option is not available on the VitalChek website and I was informed that due to the current backlog of requests, that option is not presently available through VitalChek. In fact, an individual does not even have the option to order a Birth Certificate through VitalChek at the moment.

With this buildup that the State of Michigan is currently facing, TKS Mobile Notary is temporarily suspending the guaranteed turnaround time of 2-5 business days for MI Vital Records. Most documents can be obtained within 4 weeks, often sooner. While that time frame is unfortunately substantially longer than our previous guarantees, it is still considerably quicker than the expedited process time of 8-10 weeks the State of Michigan is currently at.

Our Michigan Apostille services are still the same.

If you need assistance with a Notary Service (RON or in person), Apostille or MI Vital Record, Call or email today ~ Deb Barclay, TKS Mobile Notary & MI Apostille Services at 517-974-8753 ~ [email protected]

08/22/2026

Weather finally broke at the lake and I don’t want to do paperwork anymore 😞 at least the view is beautiful 💙

08/21/2026

I never thought I was famous, but apparently some people in Grand Rapids & Lansing both think I am 😅

A friend sent me the above picture today.

Then earlier this week I was dropping off a seller’s packet I had completed for a title company and an individual was in there visiting with the escrow officer. I said hi, dropped the packet, picked up my check, chatted for a minute and then went back out to my car.

I was on my phone answering an email and a woman approached me asking if I was Deborah Barclay with TKS Mobile Notary. I confirmed I was and she exclaimed how excited she was to meet me. She had heard my name for years around Lansing and knew how famous I was 😅 When she introduced herself, I recognized the name immediately as she has a stellar reputation as one of the top notaries in the area and has been a mobile closer for 25 years. To have another professional notary think so highly of me, well, it literally made my day ☀️

Happy Friday, make it great day and weekend!

08/18/2026

Are you the nervous out of state parent that has an incoming freshmen at MSU?

Do you want to make certain that you can assist your adult child while they manage their finances, legal matters, or medical care away from home?

As a mobile notary located minutes away from the heart of the MSU Campus, we can assist you and your student getting the documents you need notarized. We can also assist in obtaining MI Vital Records (birth certificates) and Apostilles (for those college diplomas and transcripts).

📱Call/text or email today ~ Deb Barclay with TKS Mobile Notary at 517-974-8753 or [email protected]

08/13/2026

Last week I had a client email saying they were sending me a MI birth certificate they needed an Apostille for. When I asked for the incoming tracking number, they replied that they did not have it yet because the record being processed by VitalChek was not going to be ready until NOVEMBER. I thought I misread so I asked again. They replied that VitalChek is backlogged at this time, and current processing times are 10-12 weeks.

If you need a Michigan Vital Record, we can help. Our current processing time is 2-5 business DAYS.

Call/text or email us today!

517-974-8753 or [email protected]