With COVID restrictions easing for some regions and summer  vacations just around the corner, Notaries may encounter requests to  notarize permission forms for children traveling abroad. 
Here's what you need to know about these forms. 
According  to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), if a child is traveling  abroad with one parent, the other parent must supply a letter granting  permission. If the child is traveling with an adult other than her  parents, both parents must provide written permission.
It's  strongly recommended that the permission form be notarized. While the  U.S. customs officials do not always ask for this documentation, many  countries do, and the “failure to produce notarized permission letters”  could result in being denied entry.
When you need to notarize permission forms for summer travel with children, remember these tips:
1. We need to Follow State Requirements.
A  parent who needs their signature notarized must personally appear  before the Notary. Many parents aren’t familiar with notarial rules and  procedures, and may ask to notarize an absent spouse’s signature, not  realizing it’s against the law. 
If a permission form requires  either an acknowledgment or a jurat in California, the signer must  provide satisfactory proof of identity to the Notary because personal  knowledge cannot be used to identify signers in California. 
2. Notaries are not allowed to Give Advice.
Requirements  for a child’s permission letter may vary depending on the destination  and the rules of the airline or cruise ship line. As a Notary, we cannot  give legal advice regarding the contents of a permission letter or how a  document must be completed. If you have questions, you will need to  contact the company or agency requiring the document for further  instructions. 
3. Have proper identification.
International  travelers often rush and panic at the last minute to make sure the  necessary paperwork is in order prior to imminent departure. Parents who  need notarized permission for a child to travel at the last minute may  get flustered if their signatures cannot be notarized due to lack of  acceptable ID or another issue.  
Notaries can’t notarize anything without the signer’s personal appearance, so please make sure to have proper identification.