# Loose Acknowledgement on first signing

**URL:** <https://forum.notarycafe.com/t/loose-acknowledgement-on-first-signing/26711>\
**Category:** Beginner's Questions\
**Created:** [October 2, 2021, 11:59am UTC](https://forum.notarycafe.com/t/loose-acknowledgement-on-first-signing/26711 "2021-10-02T11:59:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![stjun12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@stjun12](https://forum.notarycafe.com/u/stjun12)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2021, 11:59am UTC](https://forum.notarycafe.com/t/loose-acknowledgement-on-first-signing/26711/1 "2021-10-02T11:59:34Z")

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I am lucky to get my first signing today. It is quite big loan (3mill). Upon checking the documents, I found two loose Acknowledgement. What do I do?  
By the way, it is California.

Thanks in advance,

Regards,

Peter

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**Author:** ![LindaH-FL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8baadc/32.png) [@LindaH-FL](https://forum.notarycafe.com/u/LindaH-FL)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2021, 1:08pm UTC](https://forum.notarycafe.com/t/loose-acknowledgement-on-first-signing/26711/2 "2021-10-02T13:08:03Z")

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Unless they’re associated with a particular document, just set them aside and leave them be. Do not complete them or sign and stamp them. It’s against your notary laws. Just hang on to them til you’re done and drop the package (in case something comes up during the signing, i.e. an error) and you need an extra notary cert.

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**Author:** ![ashton](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.notarycafe.com/ashton/32/35076_2.png) [@ashton](https://forum.notarycafe.com/u/ashton)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2021, 1:21pm UTC](https://forum.notarycafe.com/t/loose-acknowledgement-on-first-signing/26711/3 "2021-10-02T13:21:51Z")

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I agree with LindaH-FL. I also suggest you always have a supply of loose certificates in both legal size paper and letter size paper, both acknowledgements and oath/affirmations. The loose ones I’ve found in signing packages usually did not conform to the requirements for my state. Also, by preparing my own, I could pre-print my name, state, and commission expiration date.