Notary Public Underwriters Blog
Notary Public Day - November 7
- Details
- Published: November 4, 2013
Updated 11/7/2025
Notaries public matter, in ways that go far beyond the public’s general misperception that all a notary does is “sign and stamp.”
For centuries, the formalities of notarization have enabled trust in document signings. The notarized signature of each person required to sign a document is considered to be prima facie* evidence that the person proved their identity to a notary public, signed the document of their own free will, and willingly participated in having their signature notarized.
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*”Prima facie”—evidence considered to be truthful and authoritative, unless it is disproved.
By exercising the powers given to them under the law of the state where they are commissioned or appointed, America’s notaries:
- help prevent fraud by verifying the identity of people appearing for a notarial act;
- protect vulnerable people by ending a notarization if they believe the principal (the person who is receiving the notarial service) is being pressured or coerced into participating;
- create reliable, personal records of their notarizations by logging every notarization in an official journal (recordbook) of notarial acts (required in many states, strongly recommended in all states); and
- enable trust in the signed documents that drive the U.S. economy, our legal system, personal and professional obligations, and every other circumstance that requires a person to have their signature notarized.
Why Notaries Matter
Notaries help protect consumers from fraud. In 2025, the Federal Trade Commission released data showing that consumer-focused fraud caused losses that were 25% higher than those in the previous year. These fraud numbers were for consumers victimized by fraud, not consumers committing fraud.
Fraud of any kind is a drain on America’s economy. Enabling trust in transactions by involving notaries strengthens the economy and helps protect America’s citizens from personal and financial harm.
Everyone needs someone they can trust. Notaries are bound by law to be trustworthy, impartial and discrete. Their notarial acts are not fodder for gossip, and their records of notarial acts (journals) must be kept securely so that no one besides the notary may access them.
Notaries help create certainty in document transactions. Parties relying on a properly notarized document can be assured of these essential facts:
- the person(s) named in the document as signers were personally known or positively identified by the notary as the person(s) whose signatures required notarization;
- the person(s) personally appeared in the notary’s presence for the notarial act;
- at the time of notarization the document signer(s) confirmed their understanding of the document, their willingness to sign it and, when applicable, their willingness to swear or affirm that the contents of the document were true.
- the notary kept strong evidence of every person’s personal appearance by means of a recordbook (journal) record for each notarization, containing the person’s signature and, if applicable, their thumbprint; and
- the notary’s signed notary recordbook (journal) record for each notarization is prima facie evidence of the truthfulness of the facts noted in that record.
On this national Notay Public Day, please take a moment to thank the notaries you know for their valuable service and the benefits they create with every notarial act they perform.