There are no provisions in California law that allow for the correction of a completed notarial act. Once a notary has signed and sealed a certificate, the act is complete — errors cannot be fixed by crossing out, writing over, or adding corrections to the existing certificate.
If a notary discovers an error after completing the act, the proper course of action is to notarize the signature on the document again. All requirements for notarization must be met for the new act, including: a new personal appearance by the signer, completing and attaching a new certificate containing the date of the new notarial act, and completing a new journal entry.
Exam Tip: Any answer suggesting a notary can line through, initial, or white-out an error on a completed certificate is wrong. The only remedy is a complete re-notarization with a fresh certificate and fresh journal entry. This rule applies even to minor clerical errors like a misspelled name or wrong date.
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