Part 2, Section 4
Signatures

A good practice is to advise the signer(s) ahead of time to sign their name as it appears in the document they are signing, as long as their identification coincides with that version of their name.  For example, if the document has the signer’s name with their middle initial, and their identification includes their middle initial or middle name, then they should sign with their middle initial.  This can deter problems that may occur down the line, such as with getting the document recorded. 

Also, the name on the document and the signature must match the identification provided by the signer.  There are innumerable variations on this rule, however.  It is acceptable to notarize less than the name on the identification, but not more. 

For example, Jane Ellen Doe, as named on her identification, may sign as Jane E. Doe, Jane Doe, or even J.E. Doe.  However, if her identification shows her only as Jane Doe, you cannot notarize her signature if she signed as Jane E. Doe, due to the name discrepancies.

You may encounter this problem when a man uses the suffix “Jr.” or “Sr.” If the document signature shows the suffix but the signer’s identification does not, it is impossible to know if the signer is the person named in the document.  Therefore, you cannot notarize this signature unless corrections are made.

In other words, it is acceptable for the signer to “under-sign” a document using less than the name on their identification, but not acceptable to “over-sign” by using more than the name on the identification. 

Your journal entry must match the version of the name that was signed, which may be less than the name on the signer’s identification.

Although the signature may not be legible (many are not), the signature on the document, the signature in your journal, and the signature on the signer’s identification must all match.
 

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