Besides the date and description, what is recommended to include in the notarial certificate?

• A. Include the county of performance
• B. Include the signer's middle name
• C. Include the notary's expiration date
• D. Include the document's page count

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that a notarial certificate should establish the venue where the notarization took place. In Georgia, including the county of performance on the certificate shows the exact location and jurisdiction in which the act occurred, which helps prevent ambiguity and supports the certificate’s validity when the document is used elsewhere. This venue, shown in the standard “State of Georgia, County of …” format, complements the date and the description of the instrument.

Other details don’t serve the same purpose. The signer’s middle name isn’t a required part of the certificate and may not be necessary to identify the signer for the notarization. The document’s page count has no bearing on the notarization itself. The expiration date on a notary’s commission is important for authority, but it isn’t typically a standard element written on every notarial certificate; that information is usually maintained with the notary’s official records and on the commission document.