Follow the instructions or ask the recipient if the letter must be notarized.The primary purpose of the notary is adding security to prevent fraud, not to make a document u201clegalu201d. The notary is a neutral public official who verifies ID of the signer. The entry in the notary journal is evidence of proof of existence of the document, including the signeru2019s name, date, signature and document description. Some notaries also request a thumbprint of the signer.Without notary oversight, a criminal might attempt to forge a signature to wrongfully gain authority without the principalu2019s knowledge.Disclaimer: I am not an attorney and this information is not legal advice.