Under ordinary notarial practice, who is allowed to complete the certificate attached to a notarized document?

• A. Only the notary
• B. The signer
• C. A witness
• D. The signer’s attorney

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that the certificate attached to a notarized document is the notary’s official attestation of the act. In ordinary Maryland practice, after the signer appears and the appropriate notarial act is performed (acknowledgment or oath/affirmation), the notary completes the certificate, signs it, and places the seal. This certificate records who appeared, that they did so willingly, and that the notary administered the act, along with the date and location. Because it is the notary’s professional confirmation of the act, no one else—neither the signer, a witness, nor the signer’s attorney—has authority to fill in that certificate.