A notary cannot notarize the document under these circumsances:
- If signer is not physically present.
- If the document contains missing pages or blanks that should be complete at the time of notarization.
- Post-date a notarial certificate, or date it earlier than the actual date of notarization.
- If the notarial certificate is blank.
- If the signer cannot be positively identified through personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence of identification.
- If the document is not "original," bearing the signer's original, signature.
- If the required notarial act is not indicated by the document, the signer or someone connected to the document.
Notaries Cannot
- authenticate or validate objects.
- Give advice or opinions that should be given by an attorney.
- proceed with a notarization if the signer appears confused or mentally incapable of understanding the transaction.
- may not proceed with notarization if they think the transaction is illegal.
The examples of documents that cannot be Notarized are:
Birth and Death Certificates
These are recordable documents, and a certified copy can only be issued by the governmental agency. However, a notary public has the authority to certify copies of original documents that are not recordable in the public records.
Photographs
Notarizing photographs is not an authorized notarial act. However, we can notarize a statement about a photograph with the photograph as an attachment.
Names that don’t match
The name on the document does not match the name on the ID.
Documents with blanks
Documents must be complete and have no blank spaces. However, if there are blanks that are to be left blank, The Signer will be asked to insert “to be added later,” or “N/A”.
Faxed or copied signatures
A photocopied signature may never be notarized.
Backdate or forward date a notarization
We cannot backdate or forward date a notarization. The document can bear the date it is created or becomes effective, but document is notarized with the dated the day the notarization.
Preparing or choosing the document
Notaries are prohibited from preparing or choosing the documents for signing. The only forms we have are notarization forms when one isn’t provided with the document to be notarized.