Notarial Certificates, Signature, and Official Seal or Stamp Requirements
Anatomy of a certificate
Most certificates contain: venue (State of Maine, County of ____), a statement of the act performed, the date, the signer's name, the notary's signature, the notary's printed name, and the official stamp. The certificate is your testimony - it must describe what you actually did, not what the form's boilerplate says.
Signature
Sign the name exactly as it appears on your commission; a variation that could confuse identification is a defect. Sign in ink. Never sign a blank certificate to be completed later.
The stamp - Maine specifics
Maine requires an official stamp containing the notary's name, the words "Notary Public," "State of Maine," and the commission expiration date. A legible ink stamp is the standard; a crimp embosser alone is inadequate because recording officials need a reproducible image. If an impression is illegible, restamp nearby - a smudged impression should not be the only one on the page.
Traps
Using an acknowledgment certificate for a sworn statement; omitting the expiration date from the stamp; stamping over text; notarizing with an expired commission (the seal is then false on its face); and assuming the venue county must be where the notary resides - it is where the act occurs.