Common Mistakes That Can Void a Notarized Document

When a notarized document is rejected by a court, a recorder's office, or a foreign government, it is usually for one of a handful of reasons. The good news: every one of them is preventable.

1. Expired or mismatched ID

The most common rejection. The ID must be unexpired, government-issued, and have the same name as the document. If you got married last week and the document uses your new name but your license shows your old name, we need to fix that before signing.

2. Wrong notarial certificate

A jurat where an acknowledgment was needed (or vice versa) can be grounds for rejection. The certificate must match what the document requires.

3. Signing before the notary arrives

For a jurat, the signer MUST sign in the presence of the notary. If you signed it last night to save time, we have to start over with a fresh page.

4. Missing seal, date, or expiration

Every Florida notarial certificate must include the notary's seal, the date of notarization, and the commission expiration date. A faded or smudged seal can be just as bad as a missing one.

5. Blank spaces in the document

Florida notaries cannot notarize documents with obvious blank spaces. Fill in everything — or strike through blanks — before the notary arrives.

6. Witness errors

Many estate and POA documents require two qualifying witnesses in addition to the notary. Using the wrong witnesses (or no witnesses) can void the entire document.