CT Notary Notary Seal and Certificate Requirements 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Connecticut law, is a notary public required to use an official seal or stamp when notarizing a paper document?
- No, a seal is optional in Connecticut (Correct answer)
- Yes, an inked rubber stamp is mandatory
- Yes, but only an embosser is permitted
- Only when notarizing real estate documents
Correct answer: No, a seal is optional in Connecticut
Connecticut does not require notaries to use a seal or stamp on paper documents, though many use one voluntarily.
Question 2: What information must a Connecticut notary include beneath their signature on a notarial certificate?
- Their printed name, the words 'Notary Public,' and their commission expiration date (Correct answer)
- Their home address and telephone number
- Their commission number and county of residence only
- Their driver's license number and date of birth
Correct answer: Their printed name, the words 'Notary Public,' and their commission expiration date
Connecticut notaries must print or type their name, the title 'Notary Public,' and the date their commission expires under their signature.
Question 3: A Connecticut notary signs a certificate but forgets to add the commission expiration date. What is the best description of this certificate?
- Defective, because the expiration date is a required element (Correct answer)
- Valid, because the expiration date is optional
- Valid, as long as a seal was applied
- Void only if the document is recorded out of state
Correct answer: Defective, because the expiration date is a required element
Omitting the commission expiration date makes the certificate defective because it is a required element of a Connecticut notarial certificate.
Question 4: What does the venue portion of a notarial certificate, such as 'State of Connecticut, County of Hartford,' indicate?
- The location where the notarial act was performed (Correct answer)
- The location where the document will be recorded
- The signer's county of residence
- The county that issued the notary's commission
Correct answer: The location where the notarial act was performed
The venue states where the notarization actually took place, not where the document will be used or where anyone lives.
Question 5: If a Connecticut notary chooses to use a seal, how should it be placed on the document?
- Near the notary's signature without obscuring any text or signatures (Correct answer)
- Directly over the signer's signature to protect it
- On the back of the document only
- Across the body text to prevent alteration
Correct answer: Near the notary's signature without obscuring any text or signatures
A seal, if used, should appear near the notary's signature and must not cover any text, signatures, or other parts of the document.
Question 6: A signer presents a document with no notarial certificate at all and asks the notary to 'just stamp it.' What should the Connecticut notary do?
- Ask the signer or drafting party to choose the type of notarial act, then attach the proper certificate (Correct answer)
- Select the certificate the notary thinks is best
- Stamp and sign without any certificate wording
- Refuse service permanently
Correct answer: Ask the signer or drafting party to choose the type of notarial act, then attach the proper certificate
A notary may not perform a notarization without certificate wording and may not choose the act for the signer, so the signer or document issuer must specify which act is needed.
Question 7: Why is it important that the name a Connecticut notary signs on a certificate match the name on their commission?
- A mismatched name can cause the notarization to be rejected because the notary's authority cannot be verified (Correct answer)
- The seal will not fit otherwise
- State law requires notaries to use only initials
- It affects the fee the notary may charge
Correct answer: A mismatched name can cause the notarization to be rejected because the notary's authority cannot be verified
Recorders and verifiers compare the signed name to the commission on file, so a mismatch can cause rejection of the notarization.
CT Notary Notary Seal and Certificate Requirements 2
Under Connecticut law, is a notary public required to use an official seal or stamp when notarizing a paper document?