As Notaries, we often are asked to waive personal appearance for a signer. The scenarios are endless: Your best friend tells you his wife can’t make the signing, but hey, you can call her. Or your boss says the client is out of town and the papers need to be executed right away. There are a million excuses, but only one right answer: Don’t do it.

If you do, you open yourself to any number of consequences, and none of them are good. If you knowingly sign and seal a false certificate that states a signer appeared when the truth is the opposite, you may face criminal prosecution — with the possibility of fines and jail time — a civil lawsuit and the loss of your commission.

Compromising your personal and professional integrity over someone’s hard luck story, or a boss’ wishes, is not worth the price.