Signing a document as a notary follows a fixed sequence: put the signer in front of you, verify who they are, complete the notarial certificate the document calls for, sign it with your commission signature, apply your seal, and log the act in your journal. Every step protects the notarization from being challenged later, and skipping any of them can void the document or expose you personally.
Put the Signer in Front of You and Verify Identity
The signer must be physically present at the moment you perform the act. This rule has no exceptions for traditional in-person notarizations. A document dropped off, faxed, or emailed without the signer appearing is not something you can notarize, no matter who is asking.
Once the signer is with you, confirm identity through an acceptable government-issued credential. The Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, which underlies the notary statutes in a majority of states, requires “satisfactory evidence of identity.”1Uniform Law Commission. Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (2021) In practice that means a current, unexpired ID bearing the signer’s photo or signature, such as a driver’s license, passport, or military ID. Some states also allow a credible witness who personally knows the signer to swear to the signer’s identity.
Identity is not the only check. Look at the signer and ask yourself two things. Are they acting voluntarily? If they seem confused, frightened, or coached by someone else in the room, you can and should refuse. Do they appear to understand that they are signing a legal instrument? You are not there to review the contents for accuracy or legality, but you do need reasonable confidence the signer knows what they are doing.
Confirm Which Notarial Certificate the Document Needs
The two everyday notarial acts are acknowledgments and jurats, and they are not interchangeable. Picking the wrong one can invalidate the notarization.
An acknowledgment confirms that the signer appeared before you, was identified, and declared that they signed the document willingly. The signature does not have to be made in your presence. The signer can have signed earlier and simply acknowledge to you that the signature is theirs and was made freely.
A jurat is different. The signer must sign in your presence and take an oath or affirmation that the contents are truthful. You administer the oath out loud, and the signer must answer verbally. A nod does not count. Jurats show up on affidavits and other sworn statements.
The document itself usually indicates which certificate it needs. If it does not, do not pick for the signer. Choosing the type of notarization on someone else’s behalf can slide into the unauthorized practice of law. Ask the signer what was requested, or tell them to check with whoever prepared the document.
Fill Out the Certificate Completely
The notarial certificate is the block of text, either preprinted on the document or attached as a loose certificate, that records what you did. Complete every blank. That means the state and county where the notarization takes place, called the venue; the date the act occurs; and the signer’s name spelled exactly as it appears on the identification you used.
The date must be the actual date of the act. Backdating a certificate is illegal and is treated as a red flag for fraud.
Refuse to notarize a document with blank spaces or missing pages in its body. Notarizing an incomplete document invites someone to fill in terms afterward that the signer never agreed to.
Sign With Your Commission Signature
Sign the certificate using the same signature you filed with your commissioning authority when you applied. Consistency matters. If your commission was issued under “Jane A. Smith,” do not sign as “J. Smith” or “Jane Smith.” A mismatch between your certificate signature and the specimen on file with the state can be grounds for rejecting the notarization.
Apply Your Seal or Stamp
Your official seal or stamp goes near your signature on the certificate. Under the model notary act followed in most states, the stamp must include your name, the jurisdiction where you are commissioned, your commission number, and your commission expiration date.1Uniform Law Commission. Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (2021) Some states additionally require the words “Notary Public” or a state seal. Confirm your state’s specifications when your commission is first issued.
Whether you use an inked rubber stamp or an embosser, the impression has to be legible and reproducible. A faded or smeared seal will get a document rejected by a recording office or title company. Press firmly on a flat surface. Do not stamp over text or over the signatures. Make sure the whole impression is visible. If you use an embosser, expect many recording offices to also require an inked stamp, because embossed impressions do not always show up on photocopies or scans.
Record the Act in Your Journal
Many states require a journal or logbook of every notarial act you perform, and in states where a journal is not mandated, keeping one is widely treated as best practice. It is your evidence of proper procedure if a notarization is ever challenged in court. The model notary act calls for the journal to be retained for ten years after the last entry.1Uniform Law Commission. Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (2021)
Make the entry at the time of the act, not later. Each entry should include:
- Date and time of the notarial act
- Type of act performed, such as acknowledgment, jurat, or oath
- Description of the document, including title and number of pages
- Signer’s full name and address
- Method of identification used, including the type of credential, the issuing authority, and its expiration date
- Fee charged, if any
States that require a journal often specify a bound book with sequentially numbered pages, so entries cannot be inserted or removed after the fact. Some states now allow electronic journals, particularly for notaries who also perform remote online notarizations.
Fixing Mistakes on the Certificate
Errors happen. A misspelled name, a wrong date, the wrong county in the venue. How you handle it depends on how serious the mistake is and whether the document has already left your hands.
For a minor error caught before the document is submitted, draw a single line through the incorrect information, write the correction clearly nearby, and initial and date the change. Do not use correction fluid. Most recording offices and government agencies reject documents with white-out because it looks like tampering.
You can only correct the notarial certificate. That is the portion you filled out. You have no authority to alter anything in the body of the document. If the error is in the main text, the signer has to go back to whoever prepared the document.
For a significant error, or when the document has already been filed, you may need to perform a new notarization or prepare a corrective certificate. That generally requires the original signer to appear before you again.
What You Must Never Do
A handful of actions can cost you your commission, expose you to personal liability under your surety bond, and in some cases lead to criminal charges:
- Notarize your own signature. You cannot be an impartial witness to your own act.
- Notarize when you have a financial interest in the transaction, such as being named as a beneficiary, being a party to the contract, or receiving compensation beyond your notary fee. In many states this restriction extends to documents signed by your spouse if either of you benefits.
- Notarize without the signer present. A coworker handing you a pre-signed page and asking you to “just stamp it” is asking you to commit misconduct.
- Backdate the certificate. The date has to match the day the act actually occurred.
- Notarize an incomplete document.
- Give legal advice. Unless you are also a licensed attorney, you cannot explain what the document means, tell the signer which type of notarization they need, fill out the form for them, or opine on whether the document is valid. Your role is to witness and authenticate.
Special Situations Worth Flagging
You can notarize a document written in a language you do not read, provided you complete the certificate itself in English and can communicate directly with the signer in a shared language. If you cannot communicate with the signer at all, decline. Only a handful of states permit using an interpreter, so do not assume a third-party translator solves the problem.
When a signer cannot write their name because of illness, disability, or illiteracy, many states allow a mark, typically an “X,” in place of a signature. Rules vary significantly. Some states require one or two disinterested witnesses; others treat a mark exactly like a signed name. Check your state’s statute before you run into this for the first time.
If You Are Performing Remote Online Notarization
As of 2025, 44 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws permitting remote online notarization, in which the signer and notary meet through a secure audio-video platform rather than in person.2Mortgage Bankers Association. RON Adoption Map A federal bill, the SECURE Notarization Act, has been introduced to create nationwide RON standards, but it has not been enacted.3Congress.gov. HR 1777 – 119th Congress (2025-2026) SECURE Notarization Act
In a RON session, your handwritten signature and physical seal are replaced by an electronic signature backed by a digital certificate and an electronic seal. The core duties do not change. You still verify identity, confirm willingness, and complete the certificate. What changes is how identity is established: RON platforms combine knowledge-based authentication, a quiz drawn from the signer’s credit and public records, with credential analysis technology that inspects the security features of a government-issued ID shown on camera.4Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Identity Proofing and Credential Analysis
The entire session must be recorded on audio and video. Retention periods vary, but most states fall in a five- to ten-year range. If you perform RON, learn your state’s specific technology, recording, and journal rules, because they diverge more than traditional in-person notary rules do.