California Notary Public ExamAcknowledgments and Proofs of ExecutionEasy
A Notary Public is presented with a document for an acknowledgment. The signer is confined to a hospital bed and requests the Notary come to their room. The Notary performs the notarization at the hospital. What is the correct venue to be entered on the acknowledgment certificate?
- AThe county and state where the hospital is physically located.
- BThe county and state specified in the document itself, regardless of location.
- CThe county and state where the Notary's commission is filed.
- DThe signer's home address, as that is their primary residence.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. The county and state where the hospital is physically located.
The venue on a Notary certificate must always reflect the actual physical location (county and state) where the notarial act takes place, regardless of the signer's residence, the Notary's commission county, or any location specified within the document.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. The document's internal venue is irrelevant; the Notary records the actual location of the act.
- C. The Notary's commission county defines their jurisdiction but not the venue for a specific act.
- D. The signer's residence is irrelevant to the venue of the notarial act.
Venue - Actual Location
The venue on a Notary certificate must always state the actual physical location (state and county) where the notarial act was performed, regardless of any other addresses or locations involved.
- Venue = physical location of notarization.
- Must be state and county.
- Always reflects 'where it happened'.
Memory trick: Venue is 'Where You Are' when you notarize, not where anyone else is from.