in 5 years i have never had this occur. I forgot to stamp the DOT in a recent signing. now of course I am panicking. they sent me an email asking for an APA and sent the DOT and a Fed ex label. They stated to send an APA and not stamp the mortgage. I didn’t see that. I printed the DOT and stamped it and fedex it to the title company. next day they asked about the APA. so I did an APA and scanned /emailed it but on the top i wrote deed of trust. I don’t think in CA we can provide an APA to be utilized with any documents but must be specific to the documents we are notarizing. I feel bad and now wait to hear back if everything goes through or if I need to send the APA in another fed ex package.
Consult your handbook closely - along with your workbook and the newsletter provided by your SOS. CA closely resembles Florida law - in Florida, we are not allowed to do this. In your example, we would have been required to get the original document back, go back to signers and have them re-acknowledge their signature…and attach a new cert with a new notarization with the current date - otherwise it would be backdating. Also, this is on your dime, as it’s your error. And no, we never sign and stamp an APA to be sent back and attached to who knows what…
I believe posters from CA on NotRot have said the same thing…and I believe it is addressed in your handbook.
Good luck and don’t stress. Mistakes happen. At least they provided the shipping label.
What does APA stand for?
Linda is correct. In California, we are not allowed to “just provide a new APA” to be attached to whatever document. From the 2024 California Notary Handbook:
“Correcting a Notarial Act
There are no provisions in the law that allow for the correction of a completed notarial act. If a notary public discovers an error in a notarial act after completing the act, then the notary public should notarize the signature on the document again. All requirements for notarization are required for the new notarial act, including completing and attaching a new certifcate containing the date of the new notarial act and completing a new journal entry.”
If it’s the notary’s error, said correction/trip is on our dime (and sometimes even the shipping of correction is the NSA’s responsibility as well; so, be grateful they provided you with another shipping label). However, if it’s a matter that lender/title omitted doc from original package, then an additional fee is in order.
APA = All Purpose Acknowledgement
Mistakes happen and we own up to it and correct them immediately. 
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