MS Notary Notary Seal and Certificate Requirements 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Mississippi law, which element is NOT required to appear on a notary's official stamp?
- The notary's home address (Correct answer)
- The words 'Notary Public'
- The notary's name as commissioned
- The commission expiration date
Correct answer: The notary's home address
Mississippi requires the notary's name, title, state, commission number, and expiration date, but never the home address.
Question 2: A Mississippi notary completes an acknowledgment but forgets to affix the official stamp. What is the status of the notarial certificate?
- It is incomplete because the stamp is a required element of the certificate (Correct answer)
- It is valid because the signature alone is sufficient
- It is valid if the signer initials the omission
- It automatically converts to a jurat
Correct answer: It is incomplete because the stamp is a required element of the certificate
The official stamp must be affixed to or embossed on the certificate for it to be properly completed.
Question 3: When must a Mississippi notary complete the notarial certificate for an act?
- Contemporaneously with the performance of the notarial act (Correct answer)
- Within 24 hours of the act
- Within 10 business days
- Any time before the document is recorded
Correct answer: Contemporaneously with the performance of the notarial act
The certificate must be executed contemporaneously with the performance of the notarial act.
Question 4: Which venue information must appear in a Mississippi notarial certificate?
- The state and county where the notarization was performed (Correct answer)
- The signer's county of residence
- The county where the notary was commissioned, regardless of location of the act
- The city and zip code of the notarization
Correct answer: The state and county where the notarization was performed
The certificate must identify the jurisdiction — state and county — in which the notarial act was performed.
Question 5: A signer asks a Mississippi notary to sign and stamp a blank acknowledgment certificate to be attached to a document later. The notary should:
- Refuse, because a certificate may not be signed before the notarial act is performed (Correct answer)
- Comply if the signer is well known to the notary
- Comply but note 'pre-signed' in the journal
- Comply if the document will be signed within one week
Correct answer: Refuse, because a certificate may not be signed before the notarial act is performed
A notary may not affix a signature or stamp to a certificate before the notarial act has been performed.
Question 6: If a Mississippi notary uses an embossing seal, what additional requirement applies?
- The impression must be capable of being legibly reproduced when the document is copied (Correct answer)
- It must be filed with the county chancery clerk each year
- It must be used together with red ink only
- It may only be used on real estate documents
Correct answer: The impression must be capable of being legibly reproduced when the document is copied
The official stamp, including an embossed seal, must be legible and capable of being copied with the record.
Question 7: Who is responsible for maintaining exclusive control of a Mississippi notary's official stamp?
- The notary personally (Correct answer)
- The notary's employer
- The Secretary of State
- The county circuit clerk
Correct answer: The notary personally
The notary must keep the official stamp under his or her sole and exclusive control at all times.
MS Notary Notary Seal and Certificate Requirements 2
Under Mississippi law, which element is NOT required to appear on a notary's official stamp?