Most Common Complaints Against Notaries
The Colorado Secretary of State regulates notaries in Colorado. They publish a list of the most common signed complaints against Colorado notaries.
The most common problem on the list of complaints is that a document was notarized outside the physical presence of the signer. Notaries must meet face to face with the document signer. A solution is for the notary to take a thumbprint of the signer, providing evidence of the face to face meeting.
List of Common Complaints
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | ||
| 1 | Notarized outside the presence of the signer | 33% | 48% | 68% | 75% | 77% | 69% |
| 2 | Miscellaneous | 14% | 20% | 11% | 5% | 7% | 2% |
| 3 | Notary certificate | 12% | 4% | 3% | 5% | 4% | 4% |
| 4 | Notary has disqualifying interest | 6% | 9% | 3% | 3% | 7% | 6% |
| 5 | Blank spaces in document | 6% | 6% | 1% | 3% | – | 8% |
| 6 | Notary has criminal history | 6% | 4% | 4% | 2% | 1% | – |
| 7 | Presence/journal | 6% | 1% | – | – | – | 2% |
| 8 | No satisfactory evidence of ID | 4% | 3% | 3% | 3% | – | – |
| 9 | Unauthorized Practice of Law | 4% | – | 1% | 1% | – | 4% |
| 10 | Signer suffering from dementia | 4% | 1% | 2% | – | – | – |
| 11 | Presence/miscellaneous | 4% | 3% | 3% | – | 3% | – |
| 12 | Journal issue | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | – | 2% |
| 13 | Presence/disqualified | 1% | – | – | – | – | – |
| 14 | Presence/notary certificate | – | – | – | 1% | – | 2% |
| 15 | Seal issue | – | – | – | – | – | 2% |
Colorado Notary Training
Notary training and testing is a good method to avoid problems and complaints.
Notary training and a notary exam have only been required in Colorado since May 2010. Many notaries have never attended a notary training course or passed a notary exam.
It is important when you choose a notary to find a professional that has completed Colorado notary training and a notary exam to reduce the risks and problems caused by notary errors. Look for a notary that has experience, as well as training.
Visit our website for Colorado Springs Mobile Notary services or Colorado Notary Training classes.
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