5 things Notaries should always check before the signer leaves
By NNA Staff on December 2, 2020
There's nothing as awkward as finishing a notarization, watching the signer walk out the door and then realizing you forgot something. This checklist can help you make sure you have done everything needed to properly complete a notarization before the signer departs.
1. Is the main body of the document complete with no blank spaces?
During the notarization, take a quick glance at the document to confirm there are no blank spaces. To respect the signer's privacy, you don't need to read through the document in detail, just make sure all necessary information is filled in before finishing.
2. Is the Notary certificate complete with no blank spaces?
One of the most common causes of document rejection is an incomplete Notary certificate. Before finishing the notarization, review the Notary certificate to make sure you have written in all required information and there are no missing sections.
3. Have you proofread the Notary certificate to make sure it is correct?
If the certificate includes misspelled or incorrect information, the notarization's validity could be questioned or outright rejected. Take a few additional moments to proofread the certificate to confirm:
The signer's name is spelled correctly and entered in the correct section of the certificate.
Your name is spelled correctly and entered in the correct section of the certificate.
Your name is written the way it is spelled on your Notary commission — don't use nicknames or abbreviations that don't match the commission name!
The venue (the location where the notarization takes place) is correctly listed.
The date of the notarization is correct.
4. Are your signature, seal and commission information correctly affixed and legible?
Make sure that your signature and Notary seal are affixed in the proper section of the Notary certificate, and your seal image is not blurry, smeared or covering any document text. If you are in a state that requires you to add your name and commission information to the certificate, confirm they are correct and that your name matches your Notary commission as described in #3 above.
5. Do you have all required information or signatures from the signer for your journal entry?
Be sure that the signer provides you with any information and signatures required for your Notary journal entry. If they leave without providing you with needed details, you will be left with an incomplete journal entry and little or no chance of fixing it once they leave.
To prevent this situation from happening, the NNA suggests filling out the journal entry and obtaining any required journal signatures at the start of the appointment. This will ensure the signer doesn't leave before providing the necessary information.