MASS GENERAL · BEDSIDE NOTARY
Notary at Massachusetts General Hospital
Need a document signed by a patient at Mass General? We come to the bedside on any unit of the main campus, often the same day and with witnesses when needed, so families can take care of powers of attorney, health care proxies and estate documents without delay.
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55 FRUIT ST, BOSTON
Bedside notary visits
Same-day and 24-hour appointments
- Powers of attorney and health care proxies
- Wills and estate documents
- Witnesses arranged if needed
- Signature by mark when needed
Visiting Mass General for a notary
Address
55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, in the West End beside Beacon Hill.
Visiting hours
Inpatient units 9am–9pm, 2 visitors at a time. ICUs 24 hours, 2 at a time.
Getting there
Charles/MGH (Red Line) is across the street. Garages: Fruit Street, Parkman Street, Charles River Plaza and Yawkey; valet at Wang and Yawkey.
Patient and Family Relations
617-726-3370 · MGHPFR@mgb.org
From Mass General’s official website, November 2026. Policies change, so check with the unit before the visit. We’re an independent notary service, not affiliated with Mass General.
How a bedside visit at Mass General works
- 1
Call or request a visit
Tell us the patient’s name, unit and room if you know them, and what’s being signed. We confirm what’s needed, including witnesses.
- 2
Get the document ready
Complete and unsigned, with no blank spaces, plus the patient’s current photo ID.
- 3
We meet you on the unit
We arrive at the main campus and meet you on the patient’s unit. MGH is large, so tell us the building and floor if you know them.
- 4
Notarized at the bedside
The notary confirms identity and willingness, watches the signing and completes the notarization.
Mass General visits, in detail
Mass General Brigham’s visitor policy allows 2 visitors at a time on inpatient units from 9am to 9pm. ICUs allow visitors 24 hours a day, 2 at a time. A designated support person doesn’t count toward the visitor limit.
MGH’s main campus spans many connected buildings, so the building name matters as much as the room number. Families often need documents signed quickly after an unexpected admission, and evenings and weekends are common. We schedule within visiting hours and coordinate with the unit for ICU visits.
Patients at Mass General have the right to appoint a health care proxy. If the patient wants to name one, the proxy needs two adult witnesses, and the person named as agent can’t be one of them.
Before the visit at Mass General
- Bring the patient’s current photo ID; MGH wristbands aren’t acceptable ID
- Know the building and unit, not just the room number
- For ICU patients, check with the nurse before the visit
- Ask the nurse when the patient is usually most alert, and avoid times right after pain medication if possible
- If the document needs witnesses, tell us. We can bring them, since hospital staff often can’t serve
Which documents need a notary?
| Document | Signing requirements in Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Durable power of attorney | Usually notarized, and it must be acknowledged before a notary to be used for real estate. Banks often insist on notarization too. |
| Health care proxy | Signed in front of two adult witnesses; the agent can’t be a witness. A notary isn’t required, but some families add one. |
| Will | Signed with at least two witnesses. A self-proving affidavit, signed before a notary, makes probate easier. |
| MOLST form | A medical order completed with the patient’s clinician. It doesn’t need a notary. |
| Affidavits and real estate documents | Signed before a notary with a jurat or acknowledgment. |
We’re notaries, not lawyers. Ask the attorney who prepared the document if you’re unsure what it needs.
When the patient can’t sign normally
After a stroke, with paralysis, a serious injury or memory loss, many patients can’t write their full name. Under the Massachusetts notary law, M.G.L. c. 222, § 15(f), a notary may certify a signature by mark, such as an X, when the patient makes the mark in front of the notary and two witnesses who are unaffected by the document, and both witnesses sign their own names beside the mark.
If the patient can’t make any mark, § 15(g) lets the notary sign the patient’s name at their direction, in front of the patient and two unaffected witnesses, and write beneath it that the signature was affixed by the notary in their presence.
Identification follows § 1 (a current government-issued photo ID with a signature, a credible witness, or the notary’s personal knowledge), and § 16 requires the notary to refuse if there’s compelling doubt the signer understands the document or is signing willingly. It also bars refusing someone solely because of a disability or age.
Read our full guide to signature by mark, and download the signature-by-mark instructions and notarial certificate (PDF).
Related
Sources
- Mass General Brigham: visitor policy
- Mass General Brigham: directions and parking
- Mass General Brigham: patient rights and Patient and Family Relations
- M.G.L. c. 222, § 15: notarial certificates, signature by mark and signature by the notary
- M.G.L. c. 222, § 1: satisfactory evidence of identity
- M.G.L. c. 222, § 16: when a notary must refuse
Frequently asked questions
Can you come to an MGH ICU?
Yes, with the unit’s agreement. Mass General Brigham allows ICU visitors 24 hours a day, 2 at a time, so we coordinate the timing with the nurse.
Where do we meet at Mass General?
On the patient’s unit. Tell us the building and floor, since the campus has many connected buildings.
Does Mass General have a notary for patients?
Mass General’s website doesn’t describe a notary service for patients’ personal documents, and hospital staff usually can’t notarize them. A mobile notary comes to the bedside at a time that works for the patient, the family and the unit.
Does the notary count as a visitor?
Usually yes. Plan who will be in the room, and if witnesses are needed, tell the nurse ahead of time.
What ID does the patient need?
A current government-issued photo ID with a signature. A hospital wristband or medical record isn’t acceptable ID in Massachusetts. If the ID is at home, ask a family member to bring it.
What if the patient can’t sign their name?
Massachusetts allows a signature by mark, such as an X, with two unaffected witnesses. If the patient can’t make any mark, the notary can sign at their direction, also with two witnesses. We can bring witnesses.
Can the notary decide whether the patient is competent?
No. A notary confirms identity and that the signer understands and is signing willingly. If there’s compelling doubt, the notary can’t proceed. If capacity is in question, talk with the medical team and the attorney first.
How quickly can you come?
Often the same day, and we’re available 24 hours a day by appointment. Call 617-203-8755 for urgent requests.
Need a notary at Mass General?
Tell us the unit and what’s being signed. We’ll confirm everything before we arrive.