Updated 10-10-16.
Many pre-printed notarial certificates include “he/she/they” to allow the Notary to specify whether they are dealing with male or female singer or multiple signers. However, this can be confusing for the Notary. Here are some guidelines for addressing the “he/she/they” option:
What Notaries Should Do
In light of this issue, the NNA recommends that Notaries refrain from circling or crossing out this wording to avoid possible document rejection. Instead, to help prevent fraudulent alteration of a certificate, the NNA recommends that Notaries “line through” any remaining blank space on the “Name(s) of Signer(s)” line after the name of the signer or signers has been entered. This will prevent additional names from being added to the certificate after the notarization is completed and will achieve the same result as the “he/she/they” practice.
Correcting Certificate Errors
Lastly, if a notarial certificate wording contains incorrect information — for example, a misspelled signer name, an incorrect venue or the wrong date — it is still acceptable for Notaries to cross out the error, enter the correct information and initial and date the change. Certificate error corrections in California must be made while the signer is present — California Notaries may not correct certificate errors after the notarization is complete, but must perform a new notarization on the document instead. Always follow any specific instructions your state requires for correcting errors in notarial wording.
NNA members who have questions about Notary certificate wording being rejected can contact our Notary Hotline for help at 1-888-876-0827 or by email at Hotline@NationalNotary.org.
David Thun is an Associate Editor at the National Notary Association.
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