Is it okay if the notary stamp is upside down?
Asked by: Garth Schuppe | Last update: December 23, 2025Score: 4.6/5 (26 votes)
Documents containing upside down, blurred, or partial Notary seal or stamp impressions are likely to get rejected.
What makes a notary stamp invalid?
Missing or Incorrect Notary Seal
For example, the seal must include the notary's name, commission number, and expiration date. States like California and Texas have specific requirements for the placement and design of the seal. Without a proper seal, legal and financial institutions may reject the document.
What is the most common mistake made by a notary?
One of the most common mistakes that notaries make is not printing or signing their name exactly as it appears on their notary commission.
When a notary makes a mistake?
If a notary public makes a mistake (it's bound to happen at some point), he or she should use a blank document in its place. Alternatively, a single-line strike can be made through the error with the notary's initials signed next to it.
How do I correct a notary stamp?
To correct a notary mistake – make new changes in line with the original document. Typically, the signer can line through an error and mark the data of a potential change. In most instances, changes to the document can be about the statement, notary signature, official notary seal, and venue.
What happens if you accidentally stamp upside down as a mobile notary and Loan signing agent
What is notary misconduct?
Examples of notarial misconduct include the following: 1) the notary notarized an instrument without the signer being present; 2) the notary failed to establish the identity of the signer by satisfactory evidence; 3) the notary failed to execute proper notarial procedures; and 4) the notary knew that the document ...
What if the notary stamp is upside down?
Documents containing upside down, blurred, or partial Notary seal or stamp impressions are likely to get rejected.
Is a notarized document legal without the stamp?
Stamps are unique to each notary, containing the public notary's name, date, state and county of commission, commission number, and expiration date. Without this stamp in place, the document won't hold up under a court of law if challenged, which is why it's crucial to include it on every notarized document.
Can you fold a notarized document?
You can do this by folding or flipping the pages, without removing the staple. When a certified document has been tampered with, the only remedy is to start the entire notarization, county and/or state certification process all over again.
How can a stamp be invalid?
Regular stamps without a barcode* are no longer valid for postage. We've added barcodes to all our regular stamps.
Can a notary use a stamp instead of a signature?
If you are a notary who notarizes multiple documents a day, using a signature stamp can be a tempting way to avoid hand cramping and carpal tunnel. However, laws that regulate the acts of notaries are often very strict. This includes using a facsimile signature stamp in lieu of a handwritten or wet signature.
Can a notary stamp a document twice?
Yes, it is OK. You may notarize multiple copies of an original document provided that the signer's signature on each copy is an original signature made in pen and ink and your notarization is “original” for each one.
What does inverted stamp mean?
Invert errors: Inverts occur when one or more elements of a postage stamp's design are printed upside down. They are caused when a stamp sheet that requires a multi-coloured impression is inserted into a printing press the wrong way round.
Does a stamp have to be top right?
Stamps must be affixed firmly in the upper right corner of the address side of the mail cover.
What makes a stamp invalid?
If the stamp was already used to send mail through the USPS®, it cannot be used to mail a different mailpiece even if the stamp was not canceled, or defaced by the Postal Service™ to make a stamp unusable.
Can I handwrite my notary stamp?
If the content is satisfactory and the certificate wording meets the requirements of your state's laws, a handwritten notarial certificate is acceptable.
What is the point of a notary stamp?
When you see a notary's seal on a document, it means a notary public verified that the transaction authentic and properly executed. Having a document notarized is the same as swearing under oath in a court of law—you are saying that the facts contained in the document are true.
Can you notarize a document that has already been signed?
No, notarization rules vary by jurisdiction. Some states, like California, require the notary to witness the signature, whereas others, like Texas, allow acknowledgment of a pre-existing signature.
How much is the upside down stamp worth?
On November 15, 2023 an inverted Jenny stamp was sold to a collector, Charles Hack, at a New York Auction for two-million dollars, the highest bid ever made on this rarity. In 1982 the Scott catalogue value for a single invert was $145,000.
What happens if you do a notary wrong?
What happens if a notary makes a mistake? The National Notary Association suggests that even the smallest mistake could have dire consequences. The notarized document could get rejected. A mistake that results in a rejection can result in late fees and penalties on the part of the client.
How to fix a notary stamp?
If your Notary seal should get smudged, be administered too lightly, or come out unevenly inked, affix a second seal near, but not over, the first one. Make sure it is readable and able to be photocopied. In doing so, make sure not to cover or obscure any other text or images on the document.
Which of the following offenses cancels a notary application?
The examples include but are not limited to: assault, arson, auto theft, burglary, possession or sale of illegal drugs, embezzlement, forgery, fraud, failure to pay child support or failure to comply with a court order.
What is a notary prohibited from?
Notaries cannot authenticate or validate objects. Notaries cannot give advice or opinions that should be given by an attorney—this is unlicensed practice of law.
Can you break a notarized agreement?
There is a huge misconceptions that if individuals go and get a document notarized everything is good, but that is not the case because the notarized document is not a court order, it is an agreement between the parties, but ultimately it cannot be enforced because it is not signed off by a judge.