Florida Notary Public Updates

We’re only human, mistakes happen. But as a notary public, you should take precautions to make mistakes as minimal as possible. Even the best notaries make mistakes. Having set procedures so you remember all aspects of a notarization is your first step to avoiding errors. The second key to being prepared is to know what to do once a mistake happens.

Here are common Notary mistakes and what to do when they occur.

Choosing the Notarial Certificate Without Input 
Sometimes, a document presented for notarization contains no notarial wording (the “notarial certificate”) that tells the Notary what services are to be performed.  Loose notarial certificates are needed when there is no notarial wording on the document, and there’s no room to write certificate language in the appropriate area of the document.

Some Notaries immediately choose the notarial certificate language that makes sense to them, and that’s a mistake.  They’ve forgotten that the document signer or a party connected to the document transaction must choose the notarial act they want performed and the related certificate.  The Notary may never make these choices without the appropriate input.

Don’t forget to take extra precautionary measures when you do utilize a loose notarial certificate. On the certificate, you can identify the document in such a way that the loose certificate could not be removed and used on another document. For instance you may write:

This certificate is attached to a _(# of pages)_ page document dealing with/entitled _____________ and dated _________.

Changing Anything in a Document That’s Signed by Anyone
Florida’s Notary law prohibits a Notary from changing anything in a document that has already been signed by anyone, including anything in a notarial certificate.  This means that if you made a simple mistake in a notarial certificate—for example, misspelling the name of the person for whom you notarized—you cannot “correct” that error on that certificate.  You need to perform a new notarization and produce an all-new notarial certificate that is correctly completed.

Be Thorough, Take Your Time
Sometimes, you are in a rush or the signer is, and it seems like a straightforward notarization you have completed a million times. This is when most errors occur—treat every notarization like you would your first, be detailed and thorough. Mistakes can be avoided by having a mental or physical checklist, such as this one. If you find yourself in a situation where you are confused as to how to proceed, call our Customer Care Team (800.385.7015 or 850.224.3156).