Has anyone ever notarized a DEA form 251?
I had a request for a notarization for one. Is there anything specific I need to know about it?
Thank you
I found the official online information about the form and I generated a PDF with sample information (JOHN DOE etc.) The instructions are a little hazy, but I think what is wanted is for the applicant to type in the information in the red boxes in the PDF reader, then print the form. I’d print it on a color printer so the red is red, but that might not be required. Also, the instructions say the notary can modify the form if necessary to comply with state regulations or use the back.
There is a second page after the human-readable form with barcodes that must be printed and returned. I’d have the applicant print it single sided, so if you need to use the back it will be totally blank and you won’t be writing on the same page as the bar codes.
The requested notarial act is an acknowledgement but the certificate says the signer signed in the presence of the notary, which is not usually required. Also, a seal or stamp is required but there isn’t enough room.
If it were me, I would copy the certificate into a separate document PDF document and bring it with me on a thumb drive. Make sure there is a working printer at the signing location and the signer knows how to use it. Put the signature page in the printer, positioned so the printer will print on the pack. Print the notary certificate on the back.
Then, after the signer signs the front, the notary writes “see certificate on reverse side” in the certificate area, dates and initials with the notary’s initials. Then complete the certificate on the back and stamp. The signer will need two different IDs.
Identification #1 must be a government-issued, widely recognized form of photo ID, such as Driver’s License or Passport. ID #2 does not
require a photo, but must be a different form of ID. Examples: Valid government issued ID, employee ID card, utility or tax bill, major
insurance card, or state pharmacist ID.
In my state (Vermont) the certificate is longer than I usually use, but is valid. It does call for the notary’s phone number, which I don’t usually use, but I don’t think it would be a problem in this case. I’m not sure what you would do if your state had exact requirements about the wording of the certificate.
It’s been a while, but I remember I notarized that form without issue. Just to refresh my memory, I printed one off the government website and practiced notarized it. There’s room for a carefully placed 1 x 2 1/2 inch stamp, and more importantly, a notary public may complete a certificate of acknowledgment required in another state or jurisdiction of the United States on documents to be filed in that other state or jurisdiction, provided the form does not require the notary to determine or certify that the signer holds a particular representative capacity or to make determinations and certifications not allowed by California law. Also, I don’t see where filling in the part that requires two forms of ID is a problem either. I do know that attaching an all-purpose acknowledgment to that document is going to cause a rejection.
It appears ewing_joe is giving the reason he, as a CA notary can do it. Of course the way notaries in other states deal with requests for specific certificate wording on a document to be used outside of the notary’s state will depend on the law of the notary’s state. The requirements in my state are pretty flexible, but don’t have any language about doing anything differently if some other jurisdiction requires it. For example, I shouldn’t use the certificate provided on some of the forms from the US State Dept. used when applying for passports.
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