Becoming a notary is a noble endeavor. Not only do you expand your career opportunities with an in-demand legal skill, but you also help people finalize vital legal documents.
Learning how to notarize a document means becoming familiar with best practices and common mistakes. When you follow this simple step-by-step process and use our educational resources, you can become a reliable notary in Florida.
How to Notarize a Document in Florida: 6 Simple Steps
Notarizing signatures and providing an impartial witness is crucial for helping people complete documents such as trusts, deeds, and wills. To learn how to notarize a document, follow these steps every time to reduce the risk of mistakes and keep yourself legally covered.
1. Study the Document Carefully for Any Errors
Signing should be the last thing on your mind when you receive a legal document for notarization. Your first order of business is to analyze the document to look for any contradictory, inaccurate, or missing information.
If the document doesn’t seem finished, Florida law forbids any notarial acts until the issue is fixed. You’re also not allowed to provide suggestions on what to put down since your skillset is in legal confirmation, not life or career advice.
Tip: The signer should clearly understand what the document entails and why they’re signing. If they seem unwell or confused, you shouldn’t proceed with the notarization.
2. Confirm the Identity of the Signer
You have several legal means of confirming the signer’s identity before proceeding with your notarization. Personal knowledge of the signer or a sworn, credible witness is one of the few common ways of confirming identity.
Other forms of identification include (but aren’t limited to):
- A Florida identification card
- A driver’s license issued by a public agency (doesn’t have to be in Florida)
- A veteran’s health identification card
3. Make Sure the Signer is Physically Present
After scanning the document for errors and confirming the signer’s identity, you need to ensure the signer is physically present. The only exception to this rule is if you’re a registered remote online notary.
The function of this rule is to reduce the risk of forgery or fraud. It’s also helpful for quickly exchanging documents and forms of identification.
4. Create a Record of the Notarial Act
Although you’re not legally required to keep records, it provides a helpful foundation for resolving any potential problems. Recordkeeping is a vital part of learning how to notarize a document because it can help you trace possible mistakes or protect you from fraud accusations.
Create a dedicated and private journal to record details of each notarial act, such as:
- The notarial type (such as an oath or deed)
- A short description of the document
- The signer’s printed name
- All the identification provided
- The date and time of the notarial act
Tip: Make sure this journal is somewhere easily retrievable in the event of a written error or accusation of malpractice.
5. Officially Complete the Notarial Act
Now that you know how to notarize a document, you’ll be ready to perform a verbal ceremony for the notarial act. Each ceremony will have slightly different details depending on the type of document that needs your oversight.
How to notarize a document example: An acknowledgement will require the signer to provide a formal declaration that they signed voluntarily and their signature is valid.
6. Fill Out the Notarial Certificate
The notarial certificate is an official document that finalizes the process. Each certificate requires the following details to be deemed legitimate:
- The type of notarial act
- The full name of the individual needing notarization
- Notarization date
- Where the notarization occurred
- Your official commissioned name
- Official signature
- Expiration date
You’ll also need to provide your typed, printed, or stamped name beneath your signature. If you use a stamp, you can only use black ink.
Tip: Make sure your stamp is legible. If someone is unable to read it or the stamp obscures written and printed text, it may not be legally enforceable.
What Documents Need to Be Notarized in Florida?
Now that you have the steps on how to notarize a document, let’s take a look at the kind of work you might be doing. Below are several documents that a notary in Florida helps with:
- Trusts
- Wills
- Loan documents
- Property deeds
- Financial statements
- Commercial leases
- Employment contracts
- Vendor contracts
Become a Notary With the Florida Notary Association
If you’ve considered learning how to notarize a document, but worried becoming a notary would be too difficult, we’re here to help. Becoming a notary in Florida is easy with our online filing process and in-depth education course.
Interested in becoming a notary? Contact us today to learn how you can get started.