Suppose you have a document to notarize. In that case, you went to the notary public and asked to notarize the document. But the authority informed you that there is no notary section. You are surprised to hear that and feel confused about what to do next. Meanwhile, you asked the authority for a solution, and they suggested a few. But you are still confused and not sure about the options.
If you are ever stuck in such a situation, or you might in the future, you surely want to avoid such a situation by knowing what to do precisely. So, to avoid such a situation, here are a few things you need to understand about Notary and steps to take in the absence of a notary section in your document.
What is Notary Section?
Every document to be notarized has a specific section that a notary fills in, signs and stamps. Though every state has its rules to be followed by the Notary, there are few common rules everywhere. It includes information related to:
The location where Notarization takes place.
The date of Notarization.
The type of act the Notary performs- Oath or Acknowledgment.
Signer’s name.
Signature of Notary.
Generally, the notary section is on the signing page and clarifies what the Notary must do. But in some documents, this section might be missing.
Can a document be notarized without a notary stamp.
As per the law, if a document doesn’t have a notary stamp, the paper can’t be considered notarized. If any notary notarizes the document improperly, it is subject to disciplinary actions.
What To Do in the Absence of Notary Section in a Document?
If you find the notary section absent in the document, then follow these points to guide yourself:
- Avoid taking legal advice from a notary
Notaries are legally bound to give any legal advice. If they are found doing so, they can lose their notary commissions or be charged with a criminal offense. As a result, avoid taking any advice from the Notary.
- Clarify About the Type of Notarization Needed
Before deciding anything, just clarify what type of Notarization is needed for your document. The most common types of notarizations are
Acknowledgments: This Notarization ensures that the document’s signer is who they claim to be and has voluntarily signed it. They are often needed for documents concerning valuable assets and deeds of trust.
Jurats: The purpose of a jurat is for the signer to swear to or affirm the truthfulness of the contents of an affidavit. It can also be known as verification on oath or affirmation.
Oaths / Affirmations: In this Notarization, a client simply needs you to administer an oath or affirmation orally, despite a jurat, affidavit, or another written document.
Copy Certification: Copy certification confirms the authentication of photocopy documents. You need to take the original document to a notary to perform a copy certification. Then the Notary will make a photocopy of the document and verify the authentication of copied documents by completing copy certification.
Signature Witnessing: This notarial act certifies that the individual appearing before the Notary is who they claim to be, and the signature on the record belongs to them.
Carefully considering your needs, choose the appropriate Notarization for your documents. After selecting Notarization, you can also opt for Online Nottarization to save time and money. Check various websites to avail yourself of services.
- Clarify with The Other Party
Contact the other party involved if you are confused about what to do with the document. Clarify what you are supposed to do with the document. After clarification, you can visit the Notary for further process.
Apart from the above guidelines, there might be more questions in your mind regarding document notarization. A few of them are discussed below:
- How much does it cost to notarize a document?
The cost of Notarization depends on various factors. It depends on the location, type of Notarization required, and other extra expenses. Thus, it varies from person to person.
- How much time does it take for document notarization?
Physical Notary takes a while, but the online notary process takes only a few minutes.
- What happens with an incomplete submitted document?
If you submit an incomplete document, it will lead to rejection, and you have to start the whole process again.
- Does the Notary attach a certificate to a document?
Yes, notaries do attach certificates depending upon the type of Notarization chosen by you.
Conclusion
Discussed above are the various guidelines to guide you through a process if the notary section is absent from the document to be notarized. Go through them carefully and implement them to avoid confusion or indecision during the Notarization of your documents. If possible, you can help your fellows to help them notarize their documents properly with these guidelines.
