Notary Glossary

68+ terms defined — Acknowledgment to W-9. Sourced from the NNA Knowledge Center and standard loan signing practice.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O PQR S T U V WXYZ

A

Acknowledgment: Act in which a Notary certifies having positively identified a document signer who personally appeared and admitted to signing the document.
Affidavit: Written statement signed before a Notary by a person who swears or affirms the statement is true.
Affirmation: Solemn promise on personal honor (no religious reference), made before a Notary. Used when a signer objects to taking an oath.
ALTA Settlement Statement: American Land Title Association settlement statement showing all costs and credits in a real estate transaction. Required on most purchase and refinance closings.
Apostille: Authenticating certificate required under the Hague Convention. Replaces chain certificates for international use of notarized documents.
Attorney in Fact: Person authorized to sign for another under a Power of Attorney.

B

Bond (Notary Bond): Written guarantee that money up to a limit will be paid by a surety company if the Notary's misconduct causes financial damage to the public.
Borrower's Certification: Document where borrowers certify the accuracy of information in their loan application and agree to inform the lender of any material changes.

C

Capacity: The specific role of a representative signer (attorney in fact, trustee, corporate officer, partner) when signing for another party.
CD (Closing Disclosure): Standardized 5-page form that provides final details about the mortgage loan, including loan terms, monthly payments, and closing costs. Required 3 business days before closing.
Certificate: Wording completed, signed, and sealed by a Notary stating the particulars of a notarization.
Commission: Written authorization to perform Notary acts, issued by the state's governor, secretary of state, or other official.
Copy Certification: Act in which a Notary certifies that a copy is a true and accurate reproduction of the original document.
Correction Agreement / Limited POA: Document authorizing the lender or title company to correct minor typographical errors in loan documents after closing. Does not cover material terms.
Credible Identifying Witness: Person who identifies a document signer to the Notary after taking an oath or affirmation. Used when the signer cannot produce acceptable ID.

D

Deed: Legal document transferring property ownership. In a purchase transaction, the seller signs a deed (grant deed or warranty deed) conveying title to the buyer.
Deed of Trust: Three-party security instrument used in most western states instead of a mortgage. The borrower (trustor) grants the property to a trustee as security for the lender (beneficiary).
Disqualifying Interest: Any direct financial benefit or other advantage that makes a Notary ineligible to perform a notarization. Notaries cannot notarize documents in which they have a financial interest.
DOT: Abbreviation for Deed of Trust.

E

E&O Insurance (Errors & Omissions): Insurance contract where an indemnity company covers a Notary's lawsuit costs and damages up to an agreed limit. Protects the notary; the bond protects the public.
Embosser Seal: Press-like device that creates a raised (embossed) image on paper. Not acceptable as a sole seal in most states — must be accompanied by an ink seal.

F

FIRPTA: Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act. When a foreign national sells U.S. real property, the buyer must withhold a percentage of the sale price for the IRS.

G

Grant Deed: Type of deed used primarily in California and other western states. The grantor implicitly warrants they haven't already sold the property and there are no undisclosed encumbrances.
Guardian: Person with lawful power to manage another individual's personal or financial affairs.

H

Hague Convention: Treaty signed by 100+ nations (including the US) that simplifies authentication of notarized documents between member nations via apostille.
HECM: Home Equity Conversion Mortgage — the FHA-insured reverse mortgage program for homeowners 62 and older.
HELOC: Home Equity Line of Credit. A revolving credit line secured by home equity. Requires Right to Cancel like a refinance. In Texas, must close at lender/attorney/title company.

I

Impartiality: State of being unbiased and having no motive other than to perform notarial duties legally and ethically. A Notary must be impartial toward all parties.
Immigration Forms Specialist (IFS): Person who helps applicants for US residency or citizenship complete immigration forms. May NOT offer legal advice.
Inking Seal: Device that imprints ink on paper to form a photocopiable notary seal. Required by most states.
IPEN (In-Person Electronic Notarization): Notarization where signer and notary are physically present together, but documents are signed and notarized electronically rather than on paper.

J

Journal Entry: Information recorded in a notary journal describing a particular notarization: date, time, type of act, document type, signer name, ID presented, and fee charged.
Journal of Notary Acts: Detailed chronological record of a Notary Public's official acts. Required in many states; recommended by NNA for all notaries.
Jurat: Notarial act in which the Notary certifies having witnessed the signing of a document and administered an oath or affirmation to the signer.
Jurisdiction: Geographic area (state or county) where a Notary is authorized to act.

K

KBA (Knowledge-Based Authentication): Identity verification method used in RON that asks signers questions about their personal history. Used alongside credential analysis in remote notarizations.

L

L.S. (Locus Sigilli): Latin for 'place of the seal.' Printed on documents where the notary seal imprint should be placed.
LSA (Loan Signing Agent): A commissioned notary public who specializes in facilitating real estate loan closings. Also called Notary Signing Agent (NSA).

M

Ministerial Official: Public officer who follows written rules without significant personal judgment. A Notary is a ministerial official — they follow statute, not discretion.
Mortgage: Two-party security instrument used in some eastern states. The borrower (mortgagor) pledges property to the lender (mortgagee) as security for the loan.

N

NNA (National Notary Association): Professional organization for notaries. Provides education, certification, background screening, and the Notary Hotline. NSA Certification from NNA is required by most signing services.
NORTC (Notice of Right to Cancel): Required document for refinance transactions on primary residences. Borrowers have 3 business days after signing to cancel the transaction. Two copies per eligible borrower required.
Notary Misconduct: Violation of law, regulation, or expected standard of honesty in executing a notarization.
NSA (Notary Signing Agent): Commissioned notary who specializes in loan signing. Same as LSA.

O

Oath: Spoken, solemn promise to God or a Supreme Being, made before a Notary. The notarial act is a Jurat when an oath (or affirmation) is administered.
Owner's Affidavit: Document where the seller (or borrower in a refinance) affirms the current condition of the property — no other contracts, liens, or encumbrances they haven't disclosed.

P

PATRIOT Act: Federal law requiring lenders to verify the identity of all borrowers. NSAs assist with this by verifying government-issued photo ID at the signing table.
Personal Appearance: The requirement that the signer physically appear before the Notary at the time of notarization. Traditional notarizations require personal appearance; RON allows appearance via audio-video.
Power of Attorney (POA): Legal document authorizing one person (attorney in fact) to act for another. Requires notarization in most states.
Promissory Note: The borrower's written promise to repay the loan. States the loan amount, interest rate, payment schedule, and consequences of default. The most important document in a refinance package.

R

RIN (Remote Ink-Signed Notarization): Notarization where signer and notary are remotely located via audio-video, but signer signs on paper (ink) rather than electronically.
RON (Remote Online Notarization): Notarization performed via audio-video technology where signer and notary are in different locations. Documents signed electronically. Authorized in most but not all states.
Rescission: Cancellation of a transaction. In the context of loan signings, refers to the borrower's right to cancel a refinance within 3 business days of signing.
RTC (Right to Cancel): A borrower's right to cancel a refinance loan on their primary residence within 3 business days of signing. Does not apply to purchase transactions.

S

Scan-Back: The process of scanning signed loan documents and sending them electronically to the title company before shipping the originals. Required by most signing services.
Signature & AKA Affidavit: Document where the borrower attests that various forms of their signature (John Smith, J. Smith, John M. Smith) all represent the same person.
Signing Service: Company that connects lenders/title companies with notary signing agents for loan closings. Acts as intermediary. Examples: Snapdocs, Amrock, ServiceLink, SigningOrder.
SPW (Signing Professionals Workgroup): Industry standards body that established document presentation sequences and notary conduct standards for loan signings. SigningOS's Guided Signing Mode is based on SPW sequences.
Surety: Company that issues a notary bond, guaranteeing payment if the notary's misconduct causes financial harm. Not the same as E&O insurance.

T

TIL (Truth in Lending): Federal disclosure showing the annual percentage rate (APR), finance charges, amount financed, and total payments. Required in most loan packages.
Title: Legal ownership of a property. Title is conveyed by deed in a sale transaction.
Title Company: Company that conducts the closing, issues title insurance, handles escrow, and records the deed. Often the entity that hires NSAs directly for closings.
Trustee: Third party who holds title to property on behalf of the lender in a Deed of Trust state. Usually a title company.

U

USAPS (Uniform Standards of Professional Practice): The NNA's standards for notary conduct, similar in purpose to SPW but broader in scope.

V

Venue: Statement on a notarial certificate indicating the state and county where the notarization took place.

W

W-9: IRS form the borrower completes providing their taxpayer identification number (SSN or EIN). Standard in most loan packages for 1099 reporting purposes.
Warranty Deed: Type of deed where the seller warrants the title against all claims, including those arising before the seller's ownership. Used in many eastern states.

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