What's the big deal....it's just a DATE?!

The date is an extremely important part of performing a notary act. As a notary, it is my job to ensure that the date reflect the date on which the signer personally appeared before me. This is particularly important when administering an oath or affirmation. If the document has been previously signed, I will have the individual re-sign the document next to the original signature. However, when it comes to an acknowledgment, the rules may be different….
​
An acknowledgment basically states that the person signing has voluntarily signed the document without coercion, duress, stress, etc. This means that technically, the document could have been previously signed before meeting the notary. As long as the individual has personally appeared in front of the notary on that specific date and time, and can ‘acknowledge’ that it is indeed their signature, the signature can be a day, a week, a month, or even years prior to the date of the notarial act.

So what is the best guarantee? If you are unsure about when it is or isn’t okay to sign before meeting the notary, the best bet is just to wait and sign in the presence of the public official. It is also important to note that backdating is illegal, unethical and not allowed. The date should ALWAYS be accurate!

---