Our January poll regarding questionable Notary requests resulted in more than 2,000 responses from across the nation, and 57 percent said when faced with uncertainty they sought guidance from trusted resources, such as their state agency or the membership Notary Hotline.
“If there is something I’m not sure of, I always call the Notary Hotline for verification,” said Lauretta VanLandingham of Costa Mesa, California. “I also inform the signer that I need to confirm the correct procedure to ensure that the notarization will be appropriate and legal.”
In other responses, 28 percent reported they’ve never been presented with a request they couldn’t handle. About 1 percent of respondents said they performed a questionable act because their boss told them to, and another 1 percent reported they went ahead with the notarization and found out later they made a mistake.