[WSBAPT] If a public notary prints their name, but does not sign their name, is that notary certification valid?

[Eric Nelsen]

Under common law a "signature" can be any kind of mark. It's even allowable, for example, to sign "John Smith" as my idiosyncratic way of signing "Eric Nelsen." The purpose of a signature is both instrumental (part of the act of notarizing) and evidentiary (notary was there and it was truly the notary and not somebody else). Any mark can meet both purposes.

Marks that don't bear some relationship to what people would expect to see as a signature, impairs the evidentiary function. Which is my longwinded and pompous way of agreeing with Melody-the problem isn't that the printed signature is invalid, but that third parties might be inclined to distrust it.

Sincerely,

Eric

Eric C. Nelsen
Sayre Law Offices, PLLC
1417 31st Ave South
Seattle WA 98144-3909
206-625-0092
eric at sayrelawoffices.com<mailto:eric at sayrelawoffices.com>

From: wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com> On Behalf Of Andrekita Silva
Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2026 12:52 AM
To: wsbapt at lists.wsbarppt.com
Subject: [WSBAPT] If a public notary prints their name, but does not sign their name, is that notary certification valid?

Law Office of F. Andrekita Silva
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

June 18, 2026

Listserve,

If a public notary prints his name, is that notary certification valid?
RCW 42.45.130 says the certificate must be "signed and dated" in the same manner as is on file with the state.

A client gave me a revocation to record. But, his name looks 100% printed. Some people tell me that my signature looks like I've printed, but it really is my cursive signature. I could not find a phone number for the notary to ask him if that is his signature or if he actually only printed his name and forgot to provide his signature.   I've emailed to my client to ask for this guy's phone number. I'm going to try to check with this guy to see if that's his signature or if he printed.

But, what do you all think?  Will this revocation need to be re-executed?

Andrekita Silva
Law Office of F. Andrekita Silva
1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 940
Seattle, Washington 98101-2509
206-224-8288
ak at seattle-silvalaw.com<mailto:ak at seattle-silvalaw.com>
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