| |
Southern Development Corporation
 |
|
Southern Development Corporation
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
Official Signature and Seal
|
A major function of the notarization
of a written document is to add
authenticity to the document. This
increases the trust persons have in the
document's validity.
A typical scenario might be a
document having been signed by one
or more persons. The notarization
insures that the identity of each signer
has been verified by the notary. Thus
the notary has “memorialized ” the
notarization by signing and sealing a
notary certificate that is attached to the
document. In addition, this event may
be recorded in the notary's journal or
register. To add standardization to the
process, there is guidance in the form
of state law and established notary
practices in the use of the notary
signature and seal (21-14-107 ).
Official Notary Signature
The notary public's official notary
signature is the signature that is on
file with the Secretary of State's office.
This is the signature that was signed
on the notary application. It should
be the same signature that appears
on the surety bond and commission/
oath. In turn, the name depicted on
the notary's official seal should be
in the same format as the official
signature.
As with the execution of other
documents, the signature should be
in ink and must be an original manual
signature. Only in specific cases can
a notary use a facsimile or pre-printed
signature. For more information on
the use of facsimile signatures please
refer to 21-14-201 or contact
the Secretary of State's office.
Official Notary Seal
Official seals have been used
throughout history to lend authenticity
to legal documents. Seals are also
used to make official documents more
difficult to forge.
In Arkansas the notary public's
official seal must meet the specific
requirements of Arkansas law as
detailed in 21-14-107. The
seal may either be a rubber stamp or
a metal embosser; however, if it is an
embosser, the raised impression must
be “inked” so it can be read easily
on a photocopy or fax copy. Other
information that must appear on the
official seal includes:the name (in the
same format as the official signature),
county and state of commission, and
commission expiration date. The
notary public's commission number
must also appear on all seals issued
after January 1, 2006. If a notary was
commissioned before January 1, 2006
the notary is not required to acquire a
new seal until renewal. State law also
indicates a seal cannot contain an
outline of the state of Arkansas or the
Great Seal of the State of Arkansas.
The notary's seal is the property of
the notary public. As such it should
be safeguarded when not in use
and should not be “borrowed” by
others. Even if the notary's employer
purchased it, the seal is the personal
property of the notary whose name
it bears. Consequently, if a notary
resigns, retires or is fired from a job,
the employer cannot keep the notary’s
seal, commission or bond.
The National Notary Association
notes the most common reason
documents fail to be accepted for
recording is the lack of the notary's
signature or seal. Occasionally
notaries preoccupied by examining
identification and watching the signer
execute the document may forget
to sign or seal the certificate. The
notary's official signature and seal on
a notarized document are the lasting
physical evidence of the notarial act.
Therefore, care should be taken when
completing certificates.
|
|
|
| |
|
