Thumbprinting

PART 2 - Section 5

Thumbprinting

California state law requires that the notary obtain a right thumbprint of the signer if the any of the following documents are being notarized:

· Deed

· Quitclaim Deed

· Deed of Trust (affecting real property)

· Power of Attorney

However, a thumbprint is not required when notarizing trustee’s deeds resulting from foreclosures or deeds of reconveyance. Government Code § 8206(a)(2)G)

The thumbprint must be placed in the notarial journal on the same line as the entry for that signer. It is highly recommended that every notary carry a thumbprinting stamp for just such situations. The signer simply presses his or her thumb onto the stamp, and then onto the space provided in the journal.

If the signer is not physically able to provide a right thumbprint, then the notary shall have the signer place his or her left thumbprint, or any available fingerprint, and such situation must be noted in the journal. If the signer is physically unable to provide a thumbprint or any fingerprint, this situation shall be noted in the journal along with an explanation of the physical condition which keeps the signer from leaving such print.
Government Code § 8206(a)(2)(G)

You may, if you wish, request that every signer of every document leave a thumbprint in your journal, but the law does not require it.

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