To fill in notary blanks correctly, you complete five things on the certificate: the venue (state and county where the act takes place), the exact date of the notarization, the signer’s name as written on the document, the wording that names the notarial act performed, and your own signature, printed name, commission expiration, and seal. The notary is responsible for every blank, and each one has to reflect what actually happened in the room, not what the document says elsewhere or what would be convenient after the fact.
The Venue: State and County
The venue sits at the top of the certificate, usually formatted as “State of ____” and “County of ____.” It identifies where the notarization physically took place. Notarize a document in Cook County, Illinois, and you write “State of Illinois” and “County of Cook,” regardless of where the signer lives or where any property described in the document is located.
A frequent mistake is writing the county where you hold your commission instead of the county where you and the signer are actually sitting. The venue always reflects the location of the act. If a pre-printed venue lists the wrong state or county, cross it out with a single line, write in the correct location, and initial the change.
The Date
The date blank captures the exact calendar day you performed the notarial act. Write the date the signer personally appeared before you and you completed the act. That date does not need to match the date printed on the document itself, because the document may have been drafted or signed earlier.
Do not pre-date or post-date a certificate. Falsifying the date is misconduct that can lead to suspension or revocation of a notary’s commission, civil liability, and in serious cases, criminal charges. If a signer asks you to backdate the certificate to match when they originally signed the document, the answer is no.
The Signer’s Name
The certificate has a blank for the signer’s name, usually phrased as “personally appeared ____.” Write the name exactly as it appears on the document being notarized. If the name on the document differs slightly from the name on the signer’s ID, note the discrepancy and use the name as it appears on the document, so long as you are satisfied the person in front of you is that individual.
Before you write anything in that blank, verify identity. The standard method is a current government-issued photo ID: driver’s license, state ID card, or passport. Most states also accept military IDs and permanent resident cards. The ID should include a photograph, a signature, and a physical description matching the person in front of you. Where a signer lacks acceptable photo ID, many states allow identification through credible witnesses who personally know the signer and vouch under oath, and a few still allow personal knowledge on the part of the notary. The acceptable methods vary by state, so check your rules before you rely on anything other than an ID card.
The Notarial Act Wording
The certificate wording tells the world what type of notarial act you performed. The two you will see most often are acknowledgments and jurats, and they work differently. Putting the wrong one on a document is one of the fastest ways to get it rejected.
Acknowledgment
An acknowledgment is a declaration by the signer that they signed the document voluntarily and understand what it does. The signer does not have to sign in front of you. They can arrive with a document they signed last week, and as long as they confirm to you that the signature is theirs and was made willingly, you can complete the acknowledgment. The wording typically reads “acknowledged before me,” followed by the date and the signer’s name.
Jurat
A jurat is more involved. The signer must sign the document in your presence, and you must administer an oath or affirmation in which the signer swears the contents are true. Both steps are required. If the document arrives already signed and calls for a jurat, the signer has to sign again in front of you. The wording typically reads “signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me.”
You do not get to pick which act applies. The document or the person who prepared it determines whether an acknowledgment or jurat is needed. If the document is silent and the signer asks which one to use, send them back to whoever drafted it or to an attorney. Choosing for them crosses into practicing law.
Your Own Details at the Bottom
The bottom portion of the certificate is where you fill in your own information. Four elements typically appear:
- Signature. Sign exactly as your name appears on your commission. If you were commissioned as “Maria L. Garcia,” do not sign “M. Garcia” or add a middle name that is not on file.
- Printed name. Print your name legibly next to or below the signature so anyone reviewing the document can read it.
- Commission expiration date. Write the date your current commission expires, so anyone reviewing the document can confirm you were actively commissioned at the time of the act.
- Official seal or stamp. Affix your seal near your signature. It generally contains your name, the words “Notary Public,” your state, your commission number, and your expiration date. The impression must be clear. A smudged or partial seal can cause the document to be rejected.
Not every state requires every one of these, and some require additional information such as a commission number written separately from the seal. Seal formats vary too: some states mandate an ink stamp, some accept an embosser, and a few require both. Know what your commissioning state expects before you start notarizing.
When You Need a Loose Certificate
Sometimes the document has no certificate wording on it, or the wording it does have does not match your state’s requirements, or there simply is not enough room for your seal and signature. In those situations, you attach a separate sheet called a loose certificate.
A loose certificate is a pre-printed form with the correct notarial wording for your state. You fill in the same blanks described above: venue, date, signer’s name, the notarial act wording, and your official details. One extra step: describe the document the certificate belongs to. Include the document’s title or type, its date, and the number of pages. That description ties the certificate to the specific document and discourages anyone from detaching it and reattaching it to something else.
On the document itself, write a note near the signature line such as “see attached notarial certificate dated [date].” Staple the loose certificate securely behind the signature page and record in your journal that you used one.
Fixing Mistakes on the Certificate
Errors happen, and the right way to fix them depends on when you catch the mistake.
While the Signer Is Still There
If you notice an error while the signer is still in front of you, draw a single line through the incorrect information so it remains readable, write the correct information nearby, and initial and date the correction. Do not use white-out, correction tape, or any opaque covering. Correction fluid can be peeled off, which raises fraud concerns and gives the appearance of tampering even when the change was legitimate.
After the Signer Has Left
Once the signer has left and the notarization is complete, you generally cannot go back and alter the certificate. Changing a completed certificate without the signer present compromises the document’s validity and can expose you to disciplinary action. If the error matters, the signer needs to appear again for a brand-new notarization. Mark the old certificate void and start the replacement fresh with current information. The temptation to “just fix a typo” after the fact is strong, especially when the signer is hard to reach. Resist it.
Extra Blanks for Remote Online Notarization
If you notarize through audio-video technology rather than in person, the certificate has to reflect that. Most states that authorize remote online notarization require the certificate to include a statement indicating the signer appeared remotely, with language along the lines of “this notarial act involved a signature executed by a remotely located individual using communication technology.”
Venue rules shift slightly. The state in the venue is generally the state where the notary is physically located during the session, even if the signer is in a different state or country, and the notary must be within the borders of the commissioning state. Some states publish specific certificate forms for remote notarizations, so check whether your state provides a required template before using a generic one.
Record the Same Information in Your Journal
Filling in the certificate is not the last step. Most states require notaries to record each notarization in a bound journal, and even where it is not mandatory, keeping one is smart practice. A journal entry typically captures the date and time of the act, the type of notarial act, the document type, the signer’s name and address, the method used to verify identity, and the fee charged. Some states also require the signer’s thumbprint for certain documents such as deeds or powers of attorney.
The journal is your independent record if the certificate is ever challenged. If someone later claims the notarization did not happen or that the signature was forged, the journal entry with the signer’s own signature is your best defense. Treat it as a backup copy of every blank you filled in on the certificate.