Can I Change An Incorrect Date On The Notary Certificate?

If an incorrect date is filled in on a Notary certificate that is presented to me, can I line through the incorrect date and correct it? — A.P., California

Yes, provided that the document signer and you are still in each other’s physical presence. If the date is incorrect in the notary certificate you would just line through it, enter the correct date and initial the correction. If the signer has left your presence, the signer must reappear before you and you must perform a new notarization.

According to the Secretary of State’s Newsletter for 2015, the law does not allow a Notary to correct a completed notarial act. If you discover an error after completing the act, then notarize the signature on the document again. That includes meeting all requirements for notarization, including completing and attaching a certificate with the date of the new notarial act and completing a new journal entry.

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

Confronted with a tricky notarization? Unsure how to proceed? NNA members have unlimited access to our expertly trained NNA Hotline counselors to help you with all of your notarial questions. Call 1-888-876-0827, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. PST; Saturday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.

37 Comments

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Jonathan

19 Feb 2016

Thank you for this information. It was very helpful. I will definitely be on the alert when this situation arises.

Maggi

30 Jan 2017

Arizona- A completed journal entry was made on a document. 7 days later, there was a new document drafted with a correction in the document. I corrected the original date in my journal and now it is not legible. So, on that same journal line, I added that the 2nd document was a corrected document with the new date. Is this a problem?

National Notary Association

01 Feb 2017

Hi Maggi. If the document simply had some information corrected, it is OK to note the correction in the original journal entry. However, if the corrected document required a new notarization, then that would be considered a separate notarial act and should be recorded in a new journal entry.

Luedella

29 Mar 2017

Can I notarize a document with typed signature line pre-dated ? No signature but previous year types in.

Hello. What you are describing is an unusual situation. We spoke to our Hotline team and their suggestion was while we can’t determine the legality of the predated signature line, if you are uncomfortable with the request we recommend that you turn down the notarization.

Chrystle Padrta

09 Mar 2018

Instead of writing the commission date, I accidentally wrote the actual date... What I do.

Hello. To help us answer your question, can you tell us what state you are commissioned in? If you need an answer quickly, please contact our Hotline Team at hotline@nationalnotary.org or 1-888-876-0827.

Mary Mccamant

07 Apr 2018

Transfer deed on death texas March 2016. At this time notary was not. A notary on this date. What to fo

09 Apr 2018

Hello. You would need to speak with a qualified attorney for assistance.

Judy Martin

11 Sep 2018

Warranty deed, notary used wrong date for expiration date in error. Date was incorrectly written after expiration of commission. Dates back to 1964, document does not appear on deed. Is deed valid?

12 Sep 2018

Hello. You would need to contact an attorney to answer any questions regarding the validity of the deed.

Lewis

25 Nov 2018

Assignment of mortgage with notary in Texas that wrote in wrong expiration date of 3/24/11 when stamps reads 3/24/14. Is the notarized document good?

27 Nov 2018

Hello. You would have to contact the lender or the recording office to ask if the document is acceptable or not.

MW

11 Dec 2019

My ex husband's notary did not do the correct date when he signed our divorce decree. The judge ultimately approved the divorce decree because he didn't know this happened. Is the divorce valid? This happened in Arizona.

12 Dec 2019

Hello. That's a question that would need to be answered by a qualified attorney.

Margaret glass

27 Apr 2020

I can’t find the notary and I’m in another state she might not be a notary any more

Kara

02 Dec 2021

Wrong date was noted on journal as well as on the certificate. Signer is now deceased . How can I correct the dates

07 Dec 2021

Based on what you’ve described, we think it would be best if you contacted our Hotline team by phone and provided them with a more detailed description of the situation. The NNA Hotline: 1-888-876-0827 Mon – Fri: 5:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (PT) Saturday: 5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (PT) If you’re not an NNA Member or Hotline Subscriber, they will provide you with a one-time courtesy call.

John Clark

06 Dec 2021

My brother has a Petition to Enter a Plea of Guilty that's notarized (signed) for the date of January 5 2003, but he didn't commit his charge until May of 2003. Also it doesn't have the notary public's stamp on it. Is that an invalid petition?

Hello. We're sorry, but that is a legal question that would need to be answered by a qualified attorney.

JB

04 Feb 2022

I am not asking for legal advice just if the document in question is nul and void. I have an agreement that was sent to me on September 3, 2020. Neither party has signed it. I signed on october 5th 2020 and she signed on, get this, June 28, 2020. But the document in question was sent on September 3 with a date inside the document of august 1, 2020 which was later changed to June 1, 2020. But the document in question was created on September 3rd. So how can a notary sign that she saw her sign on a date before the document was created?

07 Feb 2022

Hello. We're sorry, but the question of whether or not a document is valid or invalidated by a questionable notarization is a legal question that can only be answered by a qualified attorney. If you believe that some kind of Notary fraud has taken place, you should contact your local law enforcement agency or your state Notary regulating office to report it.

Kalyn Kyler

02 May 2022

I notarized a car title and accidentally put 2023 as the year instead of 2022. State is Oklahoma. How do I go about getting this corrected?

01 Jun 2022

Hello. You would need to contact the state motor vehicle department to request instructions regarding correcting any errors on a car title.

Nancy Fowler

03 Oct 2022

On an Affidavit, the signer signed it on September 30, 2022, but the notary put the date of October 30, 2022 in the blank. Can the signer mark through "October" and write "September" after the fact? Thank you.

06 Oct 2022

Kathy Ellinger

11 Oct 2022

I took my mother to have her will notarized, she signed it in front of the notary but dated it the 17th and it was the 18th. The notary signed it the 18th. Is the will still valid or do we need to have it redone?

13 Oct 2022

Hello. You would need to consult with an attorney to answer any questions about the will's validity or if corrections are required.

Scott Hansen

10 Dec 2022

What if the date is not corrected? My mother signed a POA for my brother and the notary pout the wrong year (2023) in while notarizing her signature. She has since died. Does this error, that can not be corrected, invalidate her signature?

12 Dec 2022

Hello. We're sorry, but that is a legal question that would require a qualified attorney to answer.

Kevin T Johnson

28 Dec 2022

In Virginia can I qualified notary write in the expiration date after the stamp? And would this be admissible in another state? The other state being Pennsylvania.

10 Jan 2023

mrs.angelapeardon@gmail.com

30 Dec 2022

Thank you for this article it just happened to me and I was in the presence of the signer so I crossed it out and I initialed it. So I'm happy it's all good thank you for this article because I was freaking out! This is only my second signing and I was so nervous.

Eleanor F Matis

When I notarized a document, I accidentally started writing my Commission Expiration Date instead of the actual date. I acknowledged this to my client. I crossed out what was incorrect, initialed the cross out and put in the correct date. Is this valid, client said notary would not be accepted because of the cross out.

11 Jan 2023

Hello. It would be up to the agency receiving the document whether they would accept it or not.

Nico V.

02 Feb 2023

So it maybe an easy question I just don't know to much about the situation. My friend lost their mother to a medical illness and the mother owned a home. The mother sister somehow was able to sell the mothers home even though she wasn't on the deed. To my understanding the uncle was on the deed. The mother left behind 3 daughters and 1 son. The aunts sold the home and have the mother's children 3,000 dollars from selling the home and keeping the rest of the money. The mothers children were going through a lot during the time of court and ended up losing a sibling to a medical illness as well. They feel that the whole situation was wrong and that the aunts were doing sketchy stuff.

03 Feb 2023

Hello. Any legal questions about a dispute over property would need to be answered by a qualified attorney.

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