Code of Ethics
Notary Signing Agent Code of Ethical Practice
- Comply With Law
The Notary Signing Agent shall obey all laws that apply to the signing and notarizing of the documents entrusted to the Agent, and shall give precedence to these laws over any countermanding instruction or demand from a borrower, lender, closing agent or any other person. - Observe Notary Code
The Notary Signing Agent shall comply with all principles, standards and ethical imperatives set forth in The Notary Public Code of Professional Responsibility. - Understand Assignment
The Notary Signing Agent shall thoroughly query the lender, closing agent or other contracting firm in order to achieve a clear understanding of the requirements and expectations of a given assignment, noting in particular what stipulated documents and payments the Agent must receive from the borrower and what documents and copies the Agent must leave with that borrower. - Contact Borrower Beforehand
The Notary Signing Agent shall contact the borrower beforehand to confirm the appointment and ensure that all required identification cards, witnesses, stipulated documents and checks will be available upon the Agent’s arrival. - Examine Documents
The Notary Signing Agent shall carefully examine all documents delivered to the Agent beforehand to learn which must be signed, which initialed, which dated and which notarized in order to arrive before the borrower fully prepared, informed and aware of what needs to be accomplished. - Safeguard Documents
The Notary Signing Agent shall safeguard all documents entrusted to the Agent and keep these documents under personal control or lock and key until conveying them to a reliable delivery service. - Avoid Deception
The Notary Signing Agent shall not be a knowing party to any illegal, deceptive or harmful activity requested by a lender, closing agent, signing service or borrower. - Do Not Advise
The Notary Signing Agent shall not advise the borrower about the loan, nor explain the terms of any document presented to the borrower. - Provide Information Sources
The Notary Signing Agent shall provide the borrower with the names and telephone numbers of persons in the offices of the lender and closing agent who may answer questions about the loan and explain the terms of any document presented to the borrower. - Remain Impartial
The Notary Signing Agent shall maintain a demeanor of impartiality and shall not offer personal opinions or extraneous comments to the borrower about the documents presented or about the loan. - Respect Borrower’s Privacy
The Notary Signing Agent shall respect the privacy of each borrower and not divulge details of a loan to any person outside the office of the lender or other firm employing the Agent. - Keep Contractor Informed
The Notary Signing Agent shall promptly inform the lender or other contracting firm about any change to a document that is requested by the borrower, or about any other development affecting the timely execution and return of the documents. - Observe Deadlines
The Notary Signing Agent shall perform each assignment in a timely manner, and return all expected documents, duly executed, to the employing firm with due regard to deadlines set by that firm. - Record Fees
The Notary Signing Agent shall keep a detailed record of all fees received and expenses incurred for each assignment, and carefully distinguish which portion of any fee received is for notarial services and which for other services of the Agent. - Engender Respect
The Notary Signing Agent shall conduct each assignment in a dignified, businesslike, organized and professional manner in order to engender respect for the vocation of Notary Signing Agent. - Seek Training
The Notary Signing Agent shall seek training on the duties, requirements, ethics and limitations of the vocation, and shall stay current with developments affecting it.