Last updated: November 5, 2026

Some New York City hospitals have notaries on staff, but as of November 2026 no state law requires one. Where a hospital notary exists, the hours and accepted documents vary. If the hospital can’t help, a mobile notary can come to the bedside.

That gap bites when a parent is admitted in the Bronx on a weekend and the bank wants a notarized power of attorney.

Quick answers

  • As of November 2026, no New York law requires hospitals or nursing homes to keep a notary.
  • A health care proxy, New York’s medical power of attorney, needs two adult witnesses and no notary.
  • A living will needs no notary under New York law, though the Attorney General suggests one.
  • A mobile notary can come to the bedside when the patient is alert and willing.

On this page

Do hospitals have notaries on staff in New York?

Some do, as a courtesy to patients, but no New York law makes them.

What New York law says

Senate bill S9897 would change that. It would require general hospitals and nursing homes to have a notary employee on site 8am to 6pm on business days, free for patients.

The State Senate passed it 41 to 19 on June 4, 2026, and sent it to the Assembly Health Committee. The matching Assembly bill, A6235, is also still in that committee. As of November 2026, neither bill has passed the Assembly or been signed into law.

What NYC hospitals publish

Which hospitals offer notary services varies. Three hospital websites, checked in October 2026, show the range.

NYU Langone’s Patient Relations page says several staff members are notaries who can help with a health care proxy or living will. The office at the 34th Street campus opens 9am to 5pm daily, but notary hours aren’t listed.

In the Bronx, NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln says on its guest relations page that patient representatives can arrange notary services, with no hours given.

On the Upper East Side, a Weill Cornell Medicine library page places a notary at NewYork-Presbyterian’s Patient Services desk, 9am to 5pm. It handles hospital business documents only and won’t notarize powers of attorney or living wills.

Do nursing homes have notaries?

No New York law requires a nursing home to keep a notary. S9897 would cover nursing homes too, though the bill doesn’t mention assisted living.

Ask the administrator or social worker whether a staff notary is available. If not, a nursing home notary in NYC can visit the resident’s room.

How do you ask a NYC hospital for notary services?

Call patient relations first. Some hospitals call it guest relations or patient services, and the unit’s social worker or nurse manager can put you in touch. Then ask:

  • Is a notary available today, and until what time?
  • Which documents will the notary handle?
  • Will the notary come to the bedside?
  • Who provides the witnesses, and can staff serve as witnesses?
  • Is there a charge, and who covers evenings and weekends?

Does a medical power of attorney need to be notarized in New York?

No. New York calls a medical power of attorney a health care proxy, and it needs two adult witnesses and no notary (Public Health Law §2981).

The Department of Health’s form puts it plainly: “You don’t need a lawyer or a notary, just two adult witnesses.” Any adult can witness except the agent and alternate agent, and both sign a statement that the patient signed willingly.

A financial power of attorney is different. In New York it needs a notary and two witnesses, whether it’s the statutory short form (the standard form for money and property) or another form, such as a bank’s (General Obligations Law §5-1501B). The statutory form’s own text warns that this agent can’t make health care decisions.

Families often bring these documents to a bedside signing.

Document Witnesses Notary needed? Source
Health care proxy (names an agent for medical decisions) Two adults, not the agent or alternate agent No Public Health Law §2981
Power of attorney, statutory short form or another form (names an agent for money and property) Two people not named as agents or gift recipients; the notary can be one Yes General Obligations Law §5-1501B
Living will (written wishes about treatment such as life support) Two recommended No, though one is suggested NY Attorney General’s guide
MOLST (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, covering CPR and life support) Two adults if consent is given out loud; the clinician can be one No. A physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant signs it Department of Health MOLST page

For the money side, see how power of attorney notarization in NYC works.

Does a living will need to be notarized in New York?

No. New York has no law governing living wills, so they don’t legally need to be notarized. The New York Attorney General’s advance directives guide still suggests two witnesses and, if possible, a notary.

A living will is a written statement of your treatment wishes, such as whether you’d want a feeding tube if terminally ill. New York’s Court of Appeals accepts one that gives “clear and convincing” evidence of those wishes.

The New York State Bar Association calls that test among the strictest in the country. The Attorney General’s reason for a notary is practical: a notarized living will is more likely to be accepted in states that require notarization.

There’s no official New York living will form. The Attorney General’s guide lists the minimum contents: your name, the date, your wishes, your signature, and two witnesses’ signed statements that you signed willingly.

Can a notary come to the hospital?

Yes. A mobile hospital notary can come to a patient’s room anywhere in New York City. The patient must be alert, understand the document and want to sign.

Most bedside notary visits follow five steps:

  1. Print the whole document and leave every signature line blank, since witnesses must watch the patient sign.
  2. Ask the nurse when the patient is usually most alert, away from rounds, tests or strong medication.
  3. Check in together at the visitor desk and follow the unit’s visiting hours.
  4. The notary checks ID for the patient and each witness who signs, then talks to the patient directly. Signs of confusion or pressure mean the signing stops.
  5. The patient signs and dates, then the witnesses sign. The notary completes the notarial certificate, a signed statement that the patient appeared, was identified and acknowledged signing.

Home visits work the same way: see how a mobile notary works in NYC.

The patient’s ID is at home

Ask a relative to bring it. A hospital wristband won’t satisfy the Department of State’s ID rule (19 NYCRR 182.5), though a sworn witness who knows both the patient and the notary can.

Our guide on what to bring to a notary in New York covers the other options.

What if the patient can’t sign or understand?

If the patient understands but can’t hold a pen, New York lets someone else sign at their direction and in their presence. A patient who lacks capacity (can’t understand what the document does) can’t sign at all.

For a health care proxy, two adult witnesses watch the helper sign (Public Health Law §2981). For a power of attorney, the helper can’t be an agent and signs both names (General Obligations Law §5-1501B).

Without a proxy, New York’s Family Health Care Decisions Act lets a surrogate make medical decisions. The order starts with a court-appointed guardian, then a spouse or domestic partner, then an adult child (Public Health Law §2994-D).

Money and property are harder. Without a valid power of attorney, the family may need an Article 81 guardianship, which means a court hearing. Talk to a New York elder law attorney first.

Need a notary at a NYC hospital bedside?

Priority NYC Mobile Notary comes to the patient’s room and can help coordinate witnesses for a health care proxy or power of attorney.

  • Hospitals, nursing homes, homes, offices and hotels in New York City
  • $2 state fee per signer for each acknowledgment or oath, plus a travel fee quoted before we set out

Call (929) 570-6294  See our hospital notary service

Frequently asked questions

Do hospitals have notary services on weekends?

Not reliably. Hospitals that have notaries may list daytime hours only, such as 9am to 5pm at NewYork-Presbyterian’s Patient Services desk. Even bill S9897 would only require a notary 8am to 6pm on business days.

Can I have both a living will and a health care proxy in New York?

Yes. The New York Attorney General’s guide says you can sign both: the living will records your wishes, and the proxy names an agent to act on them. New York’s proxy form also has an optional section for treatment wishes.

Can a nurse witness a health care proxy?

Yes, under state law, unless the nurse is the agent or alternate agent. In facilities run or licensed by the state Office of Mental Health or Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, at least one witness must have no tie to the facility, and some also need a qualified clinician as a witness. Hospital policy may also bar staff, so ask the nurse manager first.

How much does a hospital notary cost in NYC?

$2 per signer for each acknowledgment or oath is the state fee under Executive Law §136. A mobile notary adds a travel fee, which should be quoted before the visit. Bill S9897 would make hospital notary services free for patients, but as of November 2026 it isn’t law.

Sources

By Mehr Shahab, commissioned New York notary public at Priority NYC Mobile Notary. Updated November 2026. General information, not legal advice.

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