I recently notarized a mortgage signing in which one of the documents sent to the lender was misplaced. The signing agency has asked me to contact the signers, re-execute the document and notarize it for a past date, or, in other words, post-date the notarization. Can I do this? – P.D., Denver, Colorado

Since you are performing a new notarization, you can only input the date that you are actually notarizing the new document, not a date that came before. You should never back-date or post-date a notarial certificate; doing so is a deceptive practice and is not allowed in any state.

Hotline answers are based on the laws in the state where the question originated and may not reflect the laws of other states. If in doubt, always refer to your own state statutes. – The Editors