I had a conversation with another notary recently that reminded me of something I had already been thinking about: how often we use absolutes when giving advice in the notary world.

You have probably seen these kinds of statements before:

“You can only use blue ink for loan signings.”

“You can only accept unexpired ID.”

“The signer must always sign in front of the notary.”

“You must always do it this way.”

At first glance, statements like these may seem helpful. They are usually shared by people who are trying to give guidance, answer questions, or help newer notaries avoid mistakes.

But the problem is that notary work does not always fit neatly into universal, black-and-white rules.

Not Everything Applies Everywhere

Notary laws vary from state to state. What is required in one state may not be required in another. What is allowed in one jurisdiction may be prohibited somewhere else. Even when the notarial act itself is similar, the rules around identification, certificate wording, journal requirements, witnesses, remote notarization, and acceptable procedures can differ significantly.

That is why broad statements like “you can only,” “you must always,” or “you can never” can be misleading when they are posted without context.

Sometimes the issue is a matter of law. Sometimes it is a best practice. Sometimes it is a lender requirement, a title company instruction, a receiving agency preference, or simply one person’s experience based on how they were trained.

Those are very different things.

Law, Preference, Custom, and Experience Are Not the Same

One of the most important distinctions notaries can make is understanding the difference between:

• A legal requirement
• A company policy
• A document-recipient preference
• A lender or title instruction
• A local custom
• A best practice
• A personal habit or experience

For example, a notary may say, “You must use blue ink for loan signings.” In that notary’s experience, perhaps the title company they work with always requires blue ink. That does not necessarily mean blue ink is required by law in every state or for every loan signing.

Another notary may say, “You can only accept unexpired ID.” That may be true in their state, or it may be the safest practice in many situations. But identity rules are state-specific, and some states may have different requirements, exceptions, or acceptable methods of identification.

The same is true for many other issues that come up in notary discussions. What is true for one notary, one state, one document type, or one company may not be universally true for everyone.

Why This Matters for Newer Notaries

This is especially important when newer notaries are reading posts, comments, or advice online.

A brand-new notary may not yet know how to separate law from preference. They may not understand that a title company instruction is different from a state requirement. They may see someone confidently say, “You must always do this,” and assume that statement applies everywhere.

That can create confusion. It can also lead notaries to give incorrect advice, reject acceptable documents, follow a preference as if it were law, or overlook what their own state actually requires.

That does not mean we should stop helping each other. Sharing experience is valuable. Answering questions is valuable. Mentoring newer notaries is valuable.

But how we phrase our advice matters.

Better Ways to Share Notary Guidance

Instead of making absolute statements, we can add context. A few words can make a big difference.

For example:

“In my state…”

“In my experience…”

“For this particular lender…”

“The title company I work with requires…”

“The receiving agency requested…”

“My state handbook says…”

“As a best practice, I usually…”

“I would check your state’s notary laws or handbook…”

Those qualifiers help other notaries understand whether we are talking about law, policy, preference, or personal experience.

They also leave room for the reality that notary work can vary based on location, document type, industry, and circumstance.

Even Experienced Notaries Keep Learning

I have been in this business for a long time, and I still occasionally receive a request that makes me pause and think, “Well, that’s a new one.”

That is not a bad thing. It is a reminder that this work is not always as simple as memorizing a few universal rules. Notaries need to stay curious, keep learning, ask good questions, and go back to reliable sources when something is unclear.

Experience is valuable, but experience is still shaped by where we work, who we work with, what types of notarizations we handle, and what situations we have encountered.

No one person’s experience covers every possible scenario.

The Bottom Line

There are absolutely rules notaries must follow. There are laws, regulations, and procedures that matter. Notaries should never ignore their state requirements or the instructions that properly apply to the documents they are handling.

But we should be careful with words like “always,” “never,” “must,” and “only.”

In notary work, the most accurate answer is often not a universal statement.

Sometimes the most accurate answer is:

“It depends.”

And when it depends, the next step is to ask: depends on what?

The state? The document? The type of notarization? The signer’s situation? The receiving agency? The lender? The title company? The law? The instructions?

That is where better conversations — and better notary practices — begin.