Notary Public Documentation & Record Keeping 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of notarial certificate wording indicates that a signer is affirming the truth of a document's contents?
- Acknowledgment certificate
- Jurat certificate (Correct answer)
- Copy certification certificate
- Signature witnessing certificate
Correct answer: Jurat certificate
A jurat certificate contains words like 'sworn and subscribed' indicating the signer is making an oath or affirmation about the document's contents.
Question 2: A notary is asked to certify a copy of a U.S. passport. What is the correct action?
- Certify the copy using a copy certification certificate
- Refuse, as most states prohibit notaries from certifying government-issued documents (Correct answer)
- Only certify if the signer signs in the presence of the notary
- Certify only the photo page of the passport
Correct answer: Refuse, as most states prohibit notaries from certifying government-issued documents
Most states prohibit notaries from certifying copies of government-issued documents such as passports; the issuing agency must provide certified copies.
Question 3: What information must appear on every notarial certificate regardless of the type of act performed?
- The signer's address and phone number
- The venue (state and county where the act took place) (Correct answer)
- The document's monetary value
- The names of all witnesses present
Correct answer: The venue (state and county where the act took place)
The venue stating the state and county where the notarial act was performed is required on every notarial certificate to establish jurisdiction.
Question 4: When may a notary complete a notarial certificate after the signer has left?
- Any time before the commission expires
- Within 24 hours of the notarial act
- Never — the certificate must be completed at the time of the act (Correct answer)
- Only if the document was already signed
Correct answer: Never — the certificate must be completed at the time of the act
A notarial certificate must be completed at the time of the notarial act; backdating or completing it later is considered misconduct.
Question 5: A pre-printed acknowledgment certificate says 'before me personally appeared' followed by a blank. What belongs in that blank?
- The notary's commission number
- The name of the person whose signature is being acknowledged (Correct answer)
- The type of document being notarized
- The fee charged for the service
Correct answer: The name of the person whose signature is being acknowledged
The name of the signer whose signature is being acknowledged must appear in that blank to identify who personally appeared before the notary.
Question 6: What should a notary do if they discover an error in a notarial certificate after the document has been delivered to a third party?
- Ignore it since the document was already delivered
- Contact all parties and the state authority to determine the proper correction procedure (Correct answer)
- Cross out the error and initial it without notifying anyone
- Void the original and re-notarize a new copy immediately
Correct answer: Contact all parties and the state authority to determine the proper correction procedure
An error discovered after delivery requires contacting relevant parties and possibly the state authority, since corrections to delivered documents can have legal implications.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes 'venue' as used in notarial certificates?
- The physical location where the document will be filed
- The state and county where the notarial act was performed (Correct answer)
- The courthouse where the notary is registered
- The address of the document's principal beneficiary
Correct answer: The state and county where the notarial act was performed
Venue in a notarial certificate identifies the state and county (or parish) where the notary actually performed the notarial act.
Notary Public Documentation & Record Keeping 3
Which type of notarial certificate wording indicates that a signer is affirming the truth of a document's contents?