06/01/2026
🚨 "He's coming back in 20 minutes, just notarize it now so we don't lose the closing."
If you have been a notary for more than a year, somebody has said this to you. And how you answered tells me everything about your career. 👇
🛑 There is one rule in this industry that does not bend no matter who is asking, no matter how big the deal, no matter how nice the title agent is on the phone:
👉 The signer HAS to be physically in front of you when you notarize.
❌ Not "coming back in 20 minutes."
❌ Not "on the way."
❌ Not "just sign it, his wife will swing by tomorrow to drop her ID off."
❌ Not a FaceTime call where you can see their face.
❌ Not a Power of Attorney that was not pre-approved by the closing agent.
📍 In front of you. Same room. Same air. Same moment.
⏳ I have been doing this for 7 years and I have lost count of how many times somebody has tested me on this:
👤 Sometimes it is a borrower who is genuinely confused and thinks notarizing is just a formality.
📞 Sometimes it is a title agent who is panicking about a funding deadline.
💼 Sometimes it is another notary who wants to know how I "handle it."
The answer is always the same: I pack up my supplies, I make the phone call to the contracting company, and I leave. Politely, professionally, with a smile... but I leave.
⚠️ Because here is what most new notaries do not understand:
The state does not just lose your commission when you notarize an absent signer. The federal government opens a file on you.
And when that file gets connected to a fraudulent transaction and one day it will you are not just a notary anymore. You are a witness in someone else's criminal case. ⚖️ Or worse.
🛡️ Your commission is your asset.
📖 Your journal is your evidence.
🔏 Your seal is your signature on every document for the next 10 years.
Protect them like your life depends on it. Because in this profession, it kind of does. 💪
💬 Let’s talk in the comments:
Has somebody ever pressured you to notarize an absent signer? Tell me YES or NO below. I want to know how many of us have been there.
📌 If you are new and you have not been tested yet, SAVE this post. Your moment is coming.