A Notary Public is asked to perform a jurat on an affidavit. The signer is present, identified, and willing to take the oath. However, the affidavit contains several blank spaces that are not intended to be filled in by the signer (e.g., case numbers that will be assigned later by a court). What is the Notary's proper action?
- ARefuse to notarize the document until all blanks are filled, regardless of their purpose.
- BProceed with the jurat, as long as the blanks are not for critical information the signer is swearing to.
- CComplete the jurat, but make a note in the journal about the blanks.
- DAdvise the signer to draw lines through the blanks before notarization.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Proceed with the jurat, as long as the blanks are not for critical information the signer is swearing to.
A Notary should not notarize a document with blanks if those blanks are meant to be completed by the signer, as it could lead to unauthorized additions. However, if the blanks are clearly not for information the signer is attesting to (e.g., administrative details to be added later), the Notary may proceed, but should still make a journal entry noting the blanks.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Refusing all documents with any blanks is overly cautious and unnecessary if the blanks are non-critical.
- C. While noting in the journal is good practice, simply proceeding and noting is not enough if the blanks are critical to the signer's declaration.
- D. Drawing lines through blanks is one way to address them, but not strictly required if they are clearly non-critical administrative blanks.
Jurat - Blanks in Document
A Notary should avoid notarizing documents with blanks that are intended to be completed by the signer, as this could facilitate fraud. However, blanks for administrative details not related to the signer's declaration may be acceptable.
- Blanks relating to the signer's sworn statement should be filled.
- Administrative blanks (e.g., case numbers) may be acceptable.
- Notary should use professional judgment and note blanks in journal.
Memory trick: Review documents for completeness, especially signer's part.