Hotline Tip: Is There A Quicker Way To Perform Multiple Notarizations?

A client came in with five different documents to be notarized, including two grant deeds and three affidavits. I wrote out all five separate entries and had him sign each one separately in my journal, but the process was very time consuming. Is there a more efficient way of handling several document notarizations at once, if it is the same signer? – K.W., Butte, MT

For Montana Notaries, it is permissible to use ditto marks. The procedure would be as follows:

• Fill out one complete line in your journal for the first document you notarize.
• Use ditto marks where applicable for the remaining entries. Make sure to write out the type of notarization or document type where it changes from one notarization to the next.
• Then run a diagonal line across all the signature boxes and have the signer sign once.

If you have to go to a second page in your journal to accommodate all the entries, you should write in all the information completely.

For more information about completing journal entries and other Notary questions, visit the NNA webinar archives, which are available to the public.

Hotline answers are based on the laws in the state where the question originated and may not reflect the laws of other states. If in doubt, always refer to your own state statutes. – The Editors