May 14, 20201 min read

Notarizing A Document (Step 2) | Check the Document

Check over the document before notarizing

Notary will quickly look over the document to...

Check if there is a Notary certificate. The certificate informs the notary what type of notarization to perform. Notary will also verify the certificate complies with California law (meaning that the certificate needs to contain the correct California verbiage). If there is no certificate, the signer will need to tell the notary the type of notarization is needed, and notary will attach appropriate certificate form. If the verbiage provided on the document is not the required California verbiage, then the notary will attach their own correct certificate. The most common certificates are acknowledgments and jurats, and each has its own requirements.
Notary will check for blank spaces. State law requires notaries to make sure there are no blank spaces on a document. Documents with blank spaces can be altered later in an attempt to commit fraud, so notaries must refuse to notarize incomplete documents.
Glean key information (such as the document title) for entering in the journal.
Check the signature date, which should never come after the date of the notarization. Glancing over the document does not mean reading it for its details. It means perusing it enough to get the information the Notary needs.