Notary Certificate Venue: What It Means and How to Fill It Out
Published March 7, 2023 · Updated May 26, 2026
The venue on a notary certificate is the state and county where the notarization takes place. It appears at the top of every notarial certificate: usually as “State of ________, County of ________”, and tells anyone reading the document exactly where the notary was physically located when they performed the notarial act.
Notarial Certificates Defined
A notarial certificate is the portion of a document that contains the notarial wording, the notary’s signature, and space for the notary’s seal. It is usually printed at the end of the document near the signer’s signature line, or attached as a loose sheet (called a loose certificate or all-purpose certificate).
Every notarial certificate includes three key parts:
- The venue: state and county where the notarization occurs
- The body, the notarial wording that describes what the notary did (acknowledgement, jurat, oath, etc.)
- The notary’s signature and seal
Venue Contents
The venue has two fields:
- State of __________: Write the full state name or the standard abbreviation (e.g., “California” or “CA”). Use the state where you are physically located when performing the notarization, not the state where the document will be filed or where the signer lives.
- County of __________: Write the county where you are physically located. If you are notarizing in the City of Dallas, the county is Dallas County. If you are in the City of St. Louis, the county is the City of St. Louis (an independent city that functions as a county).
Some states use “City/County of” instead of just “County of.” In Louisiana, the venue uses “Parish” instead of “County.” In Alaska, it uses “Borough.” Use whatever jurisdiction term your state requires.
Why the Venue Matters
The venue establishes the legal jurisdiction where the notarization took place. This matters for several reasons:
- Jurisdiction, a notary’s authority comes from the state that commissioned them. The venue confirms the notary was acting within their authorized jurisdiction.
- Fraud prevention, if a document is challenged in court, the venue helps verify where and under what state’s laws the notarization occurred.
- Recording requirements: County recorders and government agencies that file documents need to know where the notarization happened. A missing or incorrect venue can cause a document to be rejected.
Common Venue Mistakes
- Wrong county. This is the most common error. A notary in Phoenix (Maricopa County) notarizes a document and writes “Pima County” by habit. Always verify the county before filling in the venue.
- Leaving the venue blank. Some notaries skip it entirely. A blank venue can render the notarization invalid in some states.
- Using the signer’s address. The venue is where the notarization happened, not where the signer lives or where the property in the document is located. If you notarize for someone who lives in Nevada but the signing takes place in your office in California, the venue is California.
- Pre-printed venue from another state. Many pre-printed forms have the venue already filled in for a specific state. If you notarize in a different state, you must cross out the pre-printed information and write in the correct venue. Initial the correction.
Understanding “To Wit”
Some notarial certificates include the phrase “to wit” between the venue and the body. “To wit” is a legal term meaning “namely” or “that is to say.” In a certificate that reads “State of California, County of Los Angeles, to wit,” the phrase simply introduces the notarial wording that follows. It does not change the meaning of the venue. Some states have dropped “to wit” from their standard certificates, but it still appears on many older forms and out-of-state documents.
Related Reading
- Acknowledgements: Does the Signer Need to Sign in Front of a Notary?
- What Does a Notary Do?
- How to Become a Notary Signing Agent
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the venue on a notary certificate mean?
The venue is the state and county where the notary was physically located when they performed the notarization. It appears at the top of the notarial certificate as “State of ________, County of ________.”
Can I use the signer’s home state as the venue?
No. The venue must reflect where the notarization actually took place. If the signer lives in Texas but meets you in your Arizona office, the venue is Arizona, not Texas.
What if the pre-printed venue on the form is wrong?
Cross out the incorrect information, write in the correct state and county, and initial the change. Pre-printed forms from other states often have the wrong venue. The notary is responsible for making sure the venue is accurate.
Does the venue need to match the notary’s commission state?
Yes. A notary can only perform notarizations within the state that commissioned them (and in some cases, only within their commissioning county). The venue should always be a location where the notary has legal authority to act.
What happens if the venue is left blank?
It depends on the state, but a blank venue can cause the document to be rejected by the county recorder or challenged in court. Some states consider a notarization with a missing venue to be defective. Always fill in the venue before completing the notarization.
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