If you are asked to notarize an international document, find out first if your state permits the requested act. The person requesting this notarial act must personally appear before the notary and sign the document in the presence of the notary.This article and video will show Notaries to fill out each part of a notarial certificate, and common mistakes to avoid. In the state of Illinois, a notary public cannot authenticate original documents or photocopies of them. An attorney must do this; it is called "Certification." Forms on this website are PDFs with fillable fields. Forms should be downloaded to your computer before filling in the fields. An apostille is much like an international notarization, with rules and regulations agreed upon in the Hague Convention of 1961. Step 1: Complete an Application. Obtain and complete the notary application from the Illinois Secretary of State website.