Notary Exam Notarial Acts and Certificates 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What information must a notarial certificate contain?
- The full text of the document being notarized
- The venue, date, notary's signature, and official seal (Correct answer)
- The signer's social security number
- The name of the supervising attorney
Correct answer: The venue, date, notary's signature, and official seal
A complete notarial certificate must include the venue (state and county), date of the act, the notary's signature, and their official seal or stamp.
Question 2: What is a 'loose certificate'?
- A certificate with illegible handwriting
- A notarial certificate printed on a separate sheet and physically attached to the document (Correct answer)
- A certificate that is missing key information
- An expired notarial certificate
Correct answer: A notarial certificate printed on a separate sheet and physically attached to the document
A loose certificate is a separate page containing the notarial wording that is stapled or attached to the document when there is no room on the document itself.
Question 3: What should a notary do if a document they are asked to notarize has blank spaces?
- Fill in the blanks themselves
- Proceed with notarizing normally
- Refuse to notarize until all blanks are completed by the signer (Correct answer)
- Cross out all blank lines before notarizing
Correct answer: Refuse to notarize until all blanks are completed by the signer
A notary should refuse to notarize a document with blank spaces because blanks could be filled in with fraudulent information after notarization.
Question 4: What is 'signature by mark'?
- A digital or electronic signature
- When a signer who is unable to write uses an 'X' or another mark to sign (Correct answer)
- The notary's initials on a document
- A rubber stamp used instead of a handwritten signature
Correct answer: When a signer who is unable to write uses an 'X' or another mark to sign
Signature by mark is the accepted practice for signers who cannot write their name, where they make a mark (such as an X) in the presence of the notary and witnesses.
Question 5: What is a 'subscribing witness' in notarial law?
- A notary who witnesses a signature on a document
- A person who witnesses another party sign a document and then appears before a notary to attest to that fact (Correct answer)
- A court-appointed official witness
- A person who co-signs a document
Correct answer: A person who witnesses another party sign a document and then appears before a notary to attest to that fact
A subscribing witness is someone who personally witnessed the principal sign the document and then appears before the notary to swear that the signing occurred.
Question 6: Which document type most commonly requires a notarized acknowledgment?
- Federal tax returns
- Real estate deeds and mortgage documents (Correct answer)
- Medical prescriptions
- Retail sales receipts
Correct answer: Real estate deeds and mortgage documents
Real estate deeds and mortgage documents typically require a notarized acknowledgment before they can be recorded in public records.
Notary Exam Notarial Acts and Certificates 2
What information must a notarial certificate contain?