Posted by MichiganAl on 1/3/08 10:02am
Msg #228816

Anyone know about "notary flags?"

Client has a document from Jamaica that requires a notary flag. I'm getting the impression that it's a specialized seal that a courthouse might have, but there's not a lot of info about it to be found.

Reply by Julie/MI on 1/3/08 10:26am
Msg #228821

Probably missed the mark

but I think Notary Flag is simply a general term for the notary public's stamp and/or emobosser, I think the keyword here is flag which is an all encompassing term for whatever the specific state requires a notary to do in addition to the notary's signature.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 1/3/08 10:39am
Msg #228824

Re: Could it possibly be the apostille? Since it's going to

Jamaica? Just a thought..

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 1/3/08 10:45am
Msg #228826

It is a Certificate of Authority from the courthouse.

Browsing the internet, for instance, Chatham county in GA charges $2.00 for a notary flag.

Certificate of Authority (Notary Flag) $ 2.00


Hope this helps somewhat

Reply by MichiganAl on 1/3/08 12:40pm
Msg #228845

Thanks All. C of A from courthouse is what I found as well. n/m

Reply by Phillip/TX on 1/3/08 11:34am
Msg #228832

This is what the SOS for Texas shows is required for a "notary flag" in Texas they cost $15.00 per document. I noticed say in CT that they charge $2.00... guess everything is bigger in Texas!!! LOL


OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF STATE
NOTARY PUBLIC UNIT
Request Form for an Official Certificate or Apostille on a Texas Notary Public
(Not for use for a request related to an adoption of a Child)

FROM
(Print or type your name and address)

___________________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________ Telephone No. _________________

____________________________________ E-mail Address _________________

For each document that has been notarized, please provide the following information. You must submit each complete original document for authentication with your request. If the authentication request concerns a translation of a document, the complete document means the notarized translation as well as the document being translated. Requests received without the complete document, or with photocopies of the notarized document, will be rejected.

Name of Notary Public: _______________________________

Commission expiration date: _______________________________

Date the document was notarized: _______________________________

Foreign country/consulate where
the document is to be filed: _______________________________

Number of Certificates/Apostilles _______________________________

Fee amount enclosed ($15.00 per certificate/Apostille) _________________

An appropriately sized self-addressed, stamped envelope or a pre-paid overnight envelope/airbill for the return of the documents.

Complete one form for each notary public rather than per document notarized by the same notary public. When requesting two or more Certificates/Apostilles remit one payment for the total amount. Payment should be in favor of the Secretary of State. If paying by credit card, include Form #2101 (Card Payment Form). Mail your request to:

Texas Secretary of State
Notary Public Unit
P. O. Box 13375 1019 Brazos Street
Austin, Texas 78711 or Austin, Texas 78701


FORM NO. 2303

Reply by Julie Williams on 1/3/08 11:44am
Msg #228837

We call them "certifications" here

and they are only $2 at the county clerk's office.

Nice work Phillip!

Reply by Marlene/USNA on 1/3/08 2:21pm
Msg #228859

We've heard of apostilles/certifications of the notary referred to as "flags" on occasion because some countries (maybe some states, too, I don't know) use the fancy presentation foils with ribbons attached, with an embossing seal. A document can look grandly important with all the flags sticking out of it.

Reply by jba/fl on 1/3/08 3:30pm
Msg #228872

Thanks for the history Marlene-how colorful! Quaint. n/m

Reply by Marlene/USNA on 1/3/08 2:21pm
Msg #228860

We've heard of apostilles/authentications of the notary referred to as "flags" on occasion because some countries (maybe some states, too, I don't know) use the fancy presentation foils with ribbons attached, with an embossing seal. A document can look grandly important with all the flags sticking out of it.

Reply by Gerry_VT on 1/3/08 5:28pm
Msg #228885

Not just decorative

The security of almost all multi-page notarized documents in this country is poor. This is becaue these documents are usually left loose in an envelope, or stapled together. It would be quite easy to remove a page (except the pages that are signed or sealed) and replace it with a page that says something else. There are two measures that will reduce this problem somewhat. One is to use an embossing notary seal on every page of the document. Another is to punch a hole through all the pages, run a ribbon through the hole, put the loose ends of the ribbon under a foil seal, and apply the embosser to the foil.

The foil and ribbon isn't a decoration; it is intended to make it more difficult to add or substitute pages after the document has been sealed. To see a picture of a patent that was sealed in this way, see http://home.comcast.net/~ashtongj/Notary/index.htm

Reply by SueW/Tn on 1/3/08 5:53pm
Msg #228892

TY for sharing Gerry, very impressive! n/m

Reply by BarbaraL_CA on 1/3/08 6:17pm
Msg #228896

Interesting, and I thought the NNA info...

was interesting also. http://home.comcast.net/~ashtongj/Notary/NNA.htm

Reply by BrendaTx on 1/3/08 6:27pm
Msg #228897

Re: Not just decorative

Thanks Gerry.

Wouldn't you just love to do that on a Deed of Trust? NO. You shouldn't! But wouldn't it be fun just to be a little Dennis the Menace and do that?

Reply by Gerry_VT on 1/3/08 9:41pm
Msg #228911

Who sealed it

Just in case people find the picture hard to read, let me make it clear that I did not seal the patent; it was sealed by an employee of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Reply by Gerry_VT on 1/3/08 11:34pm
Msg #228917

Fun

If one wanted to do something that is unwise but fun, why settle for a ribbon and an embossing seal. Use a wax seal! Then you get to play with fire, too.

Reply by BrendaTx on 1/4/08 5:47am
Msg #228923

Wax? Fire? Add a little broken glass and we'll have

turned this thread into a discussion of "Body of Evidence"...where Madonna dripped hot wax on Willem Dafoe while he lay across broken glass. Such were the days of the early 90's. It was all a-buzz back then. It was nearly '00 before terrified husbands stopped running and shrieking from the house when they came home to candlelit dinners.

Reply by Marlene/USNA on 1/4/08 9:19am
Msg #228933

very cool n/m

Reply by Julie/MI on 1/4/08 11:33am
Msg #228943

Re: Not just decorative

its not up to a notary to seal all pages of a document. its not our job to do things as we think are smart and protective. i would never suggest this practice nor would my c;ients appreciate this UPL in this case making up a law.

Reply by Gerry_VT on 1/4/08 12:05pm
Msg #228952

Re: Not just decorative

I'm not suggesting that notaries start embossing all the pages of documents, but the author of a series of notary handbooks, Alfred Piombino, has suggested this in "Notary Public Handbook: A Guide for Vermont". Also, the practice is fairly common for documents sealed by someone other than a notary. Some examples: some states require that architects and engineers seal every sheet of plans that are filed with building departments. The U.S. Patent Office requires that when filing an official copy of a foreign patent, it either have every page sealed, or the ribbon type of seal that goes through all the pages. When I applied for a teaching license, the state wanted offical course descriptions from my university; the university sealed every page of the course descriptions.

I don't know about your state, but my state does not require a seal at all (although the SOS recommends one for documents going out of the state). There is no advice at all about where to place the seal, whether the seal may be used more than once in the same document, whether it should be an embosser or a rubber stamp, or even what the design of the seal should be. So I'd say I'm free to do pretty much what I want.