Notarial certificates and records
Certificate content
A complete Oklahoma notarial certificate identifies the venue (State of Oklahoma, county), the signer, the act performed, the date, and your name and commission expiration. Your signature and seal must be applied at the same time. The seal must be legible and include your name, commission number, and "Notary Public, State of Oklahoma." Do not obscure text; if the impression is defective, correct it with a new certificate and note the correction.
Journal and records
Oklahoma requires notaries to keep a record book of official acts. Enter the date, signer's name and address, type of document, type of act (acknowledgment, jurat, oath), identification presented, and signature. Record contemporaneously and retain the journal; it is your defense if a certificate is challenged. Never record a partial act or leave blank certificate fields.
Worked example
You notarize an affidavit. The certificate has venue and date but no commission expiration, and your seal is smudged. The act is defective. Complete a new certificate with the expiration date, reapply a clear seal, and log the correction. Do not write over the smudged seal or alter the signer's certificate.
Traps
- Pre-signing or pre-dating certificates.
- Forgetting the journal entry.
- Using a seal that lacks the commission number.
- Allowing a loose certificate to be detached and reattached.