A notary should not alter the contents of a document or the fact of execution without proper authority.

• A. True
• B. Only for electronic documents
• C. Only if the signer requests
• D. False

Answer: (A)

Preserving the integrity of the document and the notarial act is essential. A notary serves as an impartial witness to the signing, not as the editor of the document. Any changes to the text or to the fact that it was signed should not be made by the notary unless there is proper authority. If a correction is needed, the document should be re-executed or a properly authorized amendment or correction certificate should be prepared and attached, with the notary’s stamp only on the corrected, authorized version. Notarizing an altered document or pretending the original execution happened as stated would undermine the notary’s role and could be illegal. This rule applies to all documents, including electronic ones.