To become an NNA® Certified Notary Signing Agent, an individual must meet minimum qualification, education, examination, and background-screening requirements to demonstrate competency and trustworthiness in performing loan signing services.
NNA Notary Signing Agent certification is a voluntary professional designation and is not required by law. Certification does not replace or modify any legal requirements for appointment or commissioning as a Notary Public, which are established solely by state law.
Commission Status
The individual must hold a current Notary Public commission issued by commissioning authority in a U.S. state or the District of Columbia.
Education & Examination
The individual must successfully complete the National Notary Association’s Notary Signing Agent Certification Training and pass the NNA’s Notary Signing Agent Certification Examination. The Training covers applicable notarial law and practice, loan document execution procedures, borrower identification and signing protocols, and ethical and professional standards governing loan signings, including those set forth in the Notary Signing Agent Code of Conduct. The Examination assesses mastery of these concepts.
Background Screening
The individual must successfully complete the National Notary Association’s background screening, conducted by a qualified consumer reporting agency compliant with the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act and that complies with the Signing Professionals Workgroup’s Notary Signing Agent Background Screening Standard, which establishes criteria for criminal, motor-vehicle, sanction, and watch-list record review.
Annual Certification
The NNA’s Notary Signing Agent certification is granted for a one-year term. To maintain certification, the individual must complete the National Notary Association’s Notary Signing Agent Certification Training and Examination and successfully pass the required background screening annually.
Certification Mark
The NNA NOTARY SIGNING AGENT® certification mark indicates that an individual has met the National Notary Association’s requirements for the National Notary Association’s Notary Signing Agent certification. Additional information regarding proper use of the certification mark is provided in the Guide to Use of the NNA NOTARY SIGNING AGENT® Certification Mark.