Notary Public Exam Notary Certificates & Wording 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a notarial certificate?
- The written statement a notary completes to describe the notarial act performed (Correct answer)
- The notary's government-issued commission document
- A list of all documents notarized in a single day
- The identification provided by the signer
Correct answer: The written statement a notary completes to describe the notarial act performed
A notarial certificate is the written statement attached to or included in a document that describes the notarial act the notary performed.
Question 2: Who is responsible for selecting the correct notarial certificate wording?
- The signer or the drafting attorney, not the notary (Correct answer)
- The notary alone in all circumstances
- The county recorder's office
- The witnessing party
Correct answer: The signer or the drafting attorney, not the notary
The signer or the document's drafting attorney is responsible for specifying which type of notarial act is needed; the notary should not choose the certificate type on the signer's behalf.
Question 3: What does the 'venue' on a notarial certificate indicate?
- The state and county where the notarial act was performed (Correct answer)
- The address of the signer's residence
- The date the document was signed
- The notary's commission number
Correct answer: The state and county where the notarial act was performed
The venue is the heading that identifies the state and county where the notarial act actually took place.
Question 4: What should a notary do if the pre-printed certificate wording on a document is for the wrong notarial act?
- Ask the signer or attorney to clarify, then attach the correct certificate or complete the correct wording (Correct answer)
- Cross out the wording and write in the correct act without consulting anyone
- Notarize the document using the incorrect pre-printed wording anyway
- Refuse all notarizations involving pre-printed certificates
Correct answer: Ask the signer or attorney to clarify, then attach the correct certificate or complete the correct wording
The notary should bring the mismatch to the signer's or attorney's attention and attach a correct loose certificate or use the proper wording rather than completing an incorrect certificate.
Question 5: What information is commonly required in a notarial certificate?
- Venue, date of notarization, notary's signature, and commission expiration date (Correct answer)
- Only the notary's printed name and seal
- Signer's Social Security number and date of birth
- The full legal description of the property involved
Correct answer: Venue, date of notarization, notary's signature, and commission expiration date
Most states require the venue, date, notary's signature and printed name, and commission expiration date to appear in the notarial certificate.
Question 6: Can a US notary typically certify a copy of a birth certificate?
- No, vital records are issued by government agencies and most states prohibit notaries from certifying copies (Correct answer)
- Yes, any notary can certify any document copy upon request
- Yes, but only if the original is presented alongside the copy
- Only notaries who are also attorneys may certify vital record copies
Correct answer: No, vital records are issued by government agencies and most states prohibit notaries from certifying copies
Birth certificates and other vital records are government-issued documents; most states prohibit notaries from certifying copies of them because only the issuing agency may produce certified copies.
Notary Public Exam Notary Certificates & Wording 1
What is a notarial certificate?