Seals, Certificates, and Notarial Forms
The Seal
A notarial seal typically contains the notary's name, commission number or state, and commission expiration, in a format the state prescribes. Some states require an inked stamp; others permit embossing or electronic seals. Traps: a seal that omits the expiration date, a seal that is illegible, a photocopied seal, and a seal applied to a certificate that the notary never signed. The seal authenticates but does not replace the notary's signature.
Certificate Construction
A complete certificate includes venue, the act language, the signer's name, the date of the act, the notary's signature, printed name and title, commission expiration, and the seal. Watch for certificates that are preprinted with a notary's name who is not performing the act, blank dates, and certificates attached to the wrong document. Electronic notarization adds requirements such as a digital certificate and tamper-evident technology.
Worked example
A notary receives a document with a certificate preprinted for a different notary. The correct approach is to attach a proper certificate for the performing notary, or use the statutory loose certificate form, rather than signing under another notary's printed name.
Rule of thumb
Read the certificate aloud before signing it. If any element-venue, act language, name, date, expiration, seal-is missing or untrue, fix it before applying the seal.