Susan Parks, age 13, of Florissant, Mo., for her question:

WHAT IS A NOTARY PUBLIC?

An officer who is authorized by state law to certify certain documents and to take oaths is called a notary public. Many documents must be notarized before they can become legally effective.

Purpose of notarizing a document is to protect those who use it from forgeries. When a notary public signs and adds his seal to a document, he is certifying that the person who signed it appeared before him and was personally known to him.

The person who signs a legal document swears to the notary public that the signature he is using is indeed his own. The notary public then officially records the fact.

Most responsible people can obtain commissions to act as notary publics.