The Golden State has updated their notary regulations. Approved on August 15, 2014, Senate Bill adds notarial wording to an acknowledgment, jurat or proof of execution. The new wording should be enclosed in a box at the top of the certificate: A no... The Golden State has updated their notary regulations. Approved on August 15, 2014, Senate Bill No.1050 adds notarial wording to an acknowledgment, jurat or proof of execution. The new wording should be enclosed in a box at the top of the certificate:

A notary public or other officer completing this certificate verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document to which this certificate is attached, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of that document.

  The new wording clarifies something which is quite obvious to the notary, but the public has been confused about, the notary does not verify the document at all (nor do they read it in detail, notaries only skim the document for blanks and to ensure all necessary information is present), the notary is only verifying the signature of the person. The law will not be effective until January 1, 2015, but you should start making the change now. It may take time to adjust to the new requirement. Some clients may come forward with documents with the old notarial wording, but are missing the boxed statement. In this case, you may need to attach a loose certificate, for the new boxed statement will most likely not squeeze onto the document above the notarial wording. The new law does not change the jurisdiction or tasks for a notary, but simply takes another step to ensure the public understands the role of a notary public.