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The National Notary Bulletin

Is there a special Notary certificate for blind signers?

By NNA Staff

Is there a Notary jurat certificate for a legally blind person? He does not sign with an “x”. He signs his signature. — A.N., Washington

No, there is no special jurat certificate for a legally blind person. To perform a jurat (called a “verification on oath or affirmation” in Washington), you would use the statutory short-form notarial certificate for a verification on oath or affirmation.

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

Confronted with a tricky notarization? Unsure how to proceed? NNA members have unlimited access to our expertly trained NNA Hotline counselors to help you with all of your notarial questions. Call 1-888-876-0827, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. PST; Saturday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.

3 Comments

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Maria Hoyos Moleski

16 Sep 2024

What are the rules in Pennsylvania to notarize a document for a visually impaired person that can’t sign?

National Notary Association

18 Sep 2024

Hello. Pennsylvania does not provide statutory guidelines for notarizing in this type of situation. The signers would need to consult with an attorney to ask what alternative options are available if the individual is unable to sign documents on their own behalf.

Stephanie Compton

21 Mar 2022

I had a signer who has low vision. I know that it's not the same as being blind, but what she and her husband did to help her sign was to have a sheet of black construction paper with a rectangle cut out that was large enough to fit on a signature line. He would line up the construction paper so that the cut-out block was placed on the signature line. She was able to feel the paper and he could place her hand in the appropriate place if necessary. If she began to write outside of the block, he would stop her and gently place her hand in the appropriate place so that she could complete her signature. I hope this makes sense and I hope that it helps.

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