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The National Notary Bulletin

Can I Notarize A Document Dated Several Weeks Ago?

By NNA Staff on November 4, 2019

New Hotline Resized 3Can I notarize a document that is dated over one month ago? — J.D., Nebraska

Updated 9-11-20: Answer edited for clarity. Yes, you can, provided the notarial act being requested is not a jurat, verification on oath or affirmation that requires the signature to be made in front of you.

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.

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14 Comments

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ANDREW BARNHART

04 Nov 2019

The question from J.D. says "dated over one month ago" and your title under Most Recent Bulletins says "signed several weeks ago." Aren't these two different questions?

greenvillenotary@gmail.com

06 Nov 2019

I'm not quite understanding this, either. Can you please clarify, I'm trying to get this in my head and put it down on paper, but I can't seem to.

National Notary Association

07 Nov 2019

Hello. Upon review, we found the original headline didn't correctly describe the hotline question. We've changed the headline to better reflect the content of the question. We hope that helps clear up any confusion and apologize for any inconvenience.

Jennet l Moses

02 Jan 2020

can a California notary, notarize a document in the State of Georgia

National Notary Association

07 Jan 2020

Hello. No, only within the borders of California.

michaelwmcfarland@outlook.com

09 Sep 2020

Out of curiosity, what difference does the date/age of the signature make if we as notaries are only verifying the identity of the person acknowledging they in fact signed the document of their own free will? We are not confirming nor verifying the information contained in the document is correct or truthful. I have not encountered this scenario before, so am just curious. Thanks.

National Notary Association

10 Sep 2020

Hello. For an acknowledgment, the signature can be made before the signer appears before the Notary to have the signature acknowledged-there is no set time requirement. However, if a jurat is required, the person must sign the document in the presence of the Notary.

Michael McFarland

10 Sep 2020

Right, I know that a jurat must be signed in front of me, but the reply in the article said as long as the documents weren’t signed more than a month ago for the acknowledgment.

National Notary Association

10 Sep 2020

We've forwarded your question to our Hotline Team and will let you know when we get a response.

National Notary Association

11 Sep 2020

Hello. Here's the response from our Hotline Team. We will edit the original question to remove the confusing section: "The date of the document is can be whatever date they want it to be, whether it is a month ago or 20 years ago. If it is already signed, and the act is an acknowledgment, the Notary simply had to ask the signer if the existing signature is theirs and then notarize the document. When it comes to a jurat, the same date issue applies, but, if it is already signed, the customer would have to re-sign in front of the Notary, and if the signature needs to be dated it would have to reflect the new date."

Nick Sutton

27 Jan 2021

A loan document is dated 1/22/21 (start of the loan), customers actually sign and is notarized on 1/26/21. Is this legal?

National Notary Association

29 Jan 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.

Clifford Allen

01 Sep 2022

We purchased a house 6 years ago for our son with the intent that he would pay all the cost etc. He's been living in the house since we passed papers and paying for everything like he owned it. We now want to transfer the house to his ownership and finalize the sale to him based on the balance of the loan we documented when we purchased the house. So we need to notarize our bill of sale and loan document to him dated 6 years ago and move forward with any other paperwork necessary to complete the sale. All the documentation of payments have been done electronically so there are no issues with payments etc. The house is in NH.

National Notary Association

01 Sep 2022

Hello. We're not completely clear what your question is, but if you are asking if you can backdate a notarization of a document from six years ago, backdating is prohibited. The notarization would have to be dated with the actual day, month and year the notarization takes place.

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