Hotline Tip: Documents Without Notarial Wording

If a client has a document containing no notarial wording, I generally attach a loose certificate. However, I recently had a client insist that the agency that issued the document wants my seal on the original document. I had no choice but to decline the notarization. Was there anything I could have done differently, or was I right in referring her back to the agency that issued the document? – R.R., Anaheim, CA

You did the right thing. If a document doesn’t have notarial wording, or contains incorrect notarial wording, you have to attach the appropriate loose certificate (acknowledgment or jurat). You cannot place your seal where there is no notarial wording or the wording is not proper. If your signer doesn’t want you to attach a loose certificate to the document, or insists that you place your seal where there isn’t proper notarial wording, you have no other choice but to refuse to perform the notarization.

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

Kelle Clarke is a Contributing Editor with the National Notary Association.

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