California Notary Public ExamJuratsMedium
A Notary Public is presented with a document requiring a jurat. The document has several blank spaces throughout the body of the text. The signer states these blanks will be filled in later by another party. What should the Notary Public do?
- AAdvise the signer that all blanks must be filled in before the jurat can be performed.
- BFill in the blank spaces with 'N/A' to prevent unauthorized additions.
- CPerform the jurat, as the Notary Public is not responsible for the content of the document.
- DProceed with the jurat, but make a note in the journal about the blanks.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Advise the signer that all blanks must be filled in before the jurat can be performed.
A Notary Public cannot perform a jurat on a document with incomplete blanks. All blanks must be filled in or struck through by the signer before the notarial act, to prevent fraud or unauthorized alterations after notarization.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. A Notary Public is prohibited from completing or altering the content of a document.
- C. While notaries are not responsible for content, they are responsible for preventing fraud, which includes ensuring document completeness.
- D. Noting blanks in the journal does not mitigate the risk of fraud from incomplete documents.
Jurat & Document Completeness
Before performing a jurat, a Notary Public must ensure that all blank spaces in the document are filled in or conspicuously struck through by the signer to prevent fraudulent alterations.
- All blanks must be completed or struck through.
- Notary cannot complete blanks.
- Ensures document integrity and prevents fraud.
Memory trick: No blanks, no fraud, no problem – seal the deal, no ifs, ands, or dots!