Which item is part of good practice guidelines before notarizing?

• A. Be sure there are no blanks.
• B. Notaries must fill out any blanks.
• C. Check for missing pages.
• D. All of the above.

Answer: (D)

Before notarizing, you want the document to be complete and free of anything that could be altered later. Any blanks in the document could be filled in after the fact to change what was stated, so you verify there are no blanks that affect the subject matter. The notarial act relies on a properly completed certificate, so filling in the appropriate certificate fields and the date makes the record clear and traceable to your authority as the signer’s notary. You also check that every page is present and none are missing, since a missing page could omit important statements or signatures and undermine the notarization. When you combine these steps, you reduce opportunities for fraud and ensure a reliable, verifiable record. All of these practices together represent good procedure before notarizing.