Can You Notarize Or Certify An I-9 Employment Verification Form?

Notaries often get called to notarize or certify an I-9 employment verification form.  If you've ever seen the form, you'll notice that there's no place for it to be notarized and no notarial wording anywhere.  And since, at least in Michigan, notaries can not certify documents, you can't do anything with this form, right?  Well, maybe you can.

I've always turned these down due to the reasons above.  But I was recently edumacated by another notary about a process for handling these forms.  First, here's the wording on the I-9 where the person certifying it would sign:

I attest, under penalty of perjury, that I have examined the document(s) presented by the above named employee, that the above listed document(s) appear genuine and to relate to the employee named, that the employee began employment on ___________ and that to the best of my knowledge the employee is authorized to work in the United States.

You're then required to sign as the employer or authorized representative.  You clearly can't notarize this.  And you're not the employer or authorized rep.  But as my colleague so deftly points out, all that's required is for the employer to name you as an authorized representative.  So if the employer provided a letter or email authorizing you to act as their representative for the purpose of verifying and certifying the I-9, you're free to sign it.  The key to this is that you are not doing this in the capacity of a notary.  You're signing as a representative of the employer, which you would be with proper authorization.