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Does a Notary Need to See the Entire Document When Notarizing?

 

Yes, when asked to notarize a signature, a notary should review the entire document before performing the notarial act.  The reasons why include:

  • To scan the notarial certificate for necessary information including the name of the principal signer who should be present for the notarization;
  • To verify that the notarial act indicated in the notarial certificate is authorized in the notary’s state of commission or appointment;
  • To verify that the notarial certificate contains no written statements or assertions that a notary is not authorized to make;
  • To scan for any barriers to notarization, such as a completely blank document, or one with blanks that should be filled-in prior to appearing before a notary;
  • To glean information such as the number of pages, date of the document, and general document type so the notary can accurately describe the document in the related recordbook or journal entry.

It can be challenging to explain why you need to see the entire document in order to notarize a customer’s signature.  Here are a few concise ways to say it, as applicable:

  • “I need to see the entire document because I can’t notarize if there are significant blanks left in it.”
  • “I must review the notary block to determine whether it satisfies my state’s unique requirements.”
  • “I need to see the entire document because my state prohibits me from notarizing certain document types.” [If applicable in your state.]
  • “I keep a recordbook [journal] of every notarial act. I need to see your entire document in order to accurately describe it in my recordbook [journal] entry.”

Remember these tips about reviewing the entire document the next time you perform a signature notarization!


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Can I Notarize a Document That Is Already Signed?

Can a Notary Change a Document’s Date?

How to Notarize Signatures on Handwritten Documents

What to Do When Names Don’t Match on the ID and Document

Is a Notarization Valid Without the Notary Stamp on the Document?

Category: Notary Blog