There is no more powerful symbol of a notary public’s authority than his or her official stamp on a notarized document. Knowing this, should you trust the creation of your notary stamp to just anyone? Most notaries realize that their commissioning...

Staying Safe as a Notary Public Every year, more notaries become mobile, making notarizations at their client’s convenience. While this has improved the businesses of many mobile notaries and has created an easier way for people to obtain notarizatio...

So what constitutes legal advice?  As a notary public, you are prohibited from giving legal advice. The question most often asked, though, is: What exactly is considered legal advice? The answer is, More than you would think. The following prohibite...

Every commissioned notary in the United States is authorized to perform an acknowledgment. Some, but not others, are additionally allowed to take proofs. So what are the actual differences between these two, very similar, duties? Acknowledgment An ackn...

Every now and then, it happens. The name listed on someone’s ID does not exactly match either the name on the document or their signature. When this happens, you – as the notary – have a few options: Determine if the Discrepancy is Acceptable Th...