What to do When The Room For Your Notary Stamp is Limited

A notary stamp is perhaps one of the most crucial parts of the notarization process. It contains important information such as the name of the notary public, commission number of the notary, the state and county where it is being commissioned and the expiry date. Owing to the importance of this information, the stamp should be clearly placed on the document being notarized. The placing of the stamp and the signature of the notary on the document completes the preliminary steps involved in notarizing.

The notary stamp should not cover any of the text in the document or the notary’s signature. All the details of the stamp should be clearly visible. If the notary stamp is overlapping with any text in the document, chances are that the document will be rejected.

Many times, the document the client brings to be notarized has absolutely no space for the stamp. The page is filled with text from edge to edge. The notary certificate that is printed on the document is hardly the same size as a business card. And the worst part is, the area left for the stamp just too small and you cant fit your stamp in there without it overlapping with some text.

There are certain things you can do to prepare yourself when these circumstances arise. Follow the suggestions given below when faced with such a situation.

1. Make sure that you always have some extra notarial certificates. You never know when you may need them. And since you can’t predict what type of certificate you will need, make sure that you have both acknowledgment and jurat certificates.
2. When you see that the client’s document has no space for a notary stamp, explain the problem to them. Inform them that you would like to attach an additional notarial certificate of the appropriate type to their document. Also, make it clear that the language in the additional certificate will have the same language as the original document.
3. Once you have obtained the client’s consent, draw one line through the certificate and print “See attached notarial certificate” neatly. Do not forget to initial this change.
4. In the certificate that you will be attaching to the original, write the title of the document, the number of pages and complete the certificate. In your notary journal, note that you have attached a loose certificate to the document and the reason for doing so.

If the client does not permit you to replace the certificate, you have no choice but to say no to notarizing the document. You need to explain to them clearly that if you cannot replace the certificate and if you have to place the notary stamp on the document they brought, the stamp may overlap with some of the text. This will make the document invalid.

In some cases, when there is space available, but not big enough to accommodate your stamp, you can use a smaller notarial seal. You should ensure that your state permits a smaller seal. If they do, then the Trodat pocket notary stamp is a very good option. The Trodat stamp has good reviews and many users have been very satisfied with it.

Coast2Coast Signings is a global signing service dedicated to providing the most convenient, efficient and professional signing services. Our goal is to provide our clients’ with excellent customer service, a knowledgeable staff, and the ability to find experienced notaries wherever and whenever they are needed. Our team is on staff 24/7 to fulfill any of your signing needs. With a combined 50 years of experience, our mission is to help fulfill our clients’ needs with the utmost respect and adaptability. Coast 2 Coast is the only signing company proficient in completing signings on a global scale, on any coast and in any country.