Set document requirements for notarizations

Audience: Organizations
Audience: Notary-Sourced Transaction notaries (NSTs)

The short answer: After you upload a file to a transaction, you can set document requirements to control what the signer needs to do — like whether notarization is required, whether a witness is needed, or whether the signer can fill in the document themselves. Proof enforces whatever you select.


Who can do this

Your role determines where you can set document requirements:

  • Draft transactions: Any user who can send transactions.
  • Templates: Owners, admins, and team members only.

Read more about user roles for your organization here.


What requirements mean

When you make selections for document requirements, the Proof platform enforces them. You can hover over each symbol in your account to see what they mean. Here's what the symbols mean:

Symbol Meaning Explanation

notarization required symbol

Seal

Notarization required

This must be checked to send the notarization request.

If notarization is not required, send a transaction for eSignature instead to send the document to be signed without a notary.

This box is checked by default when creating a notarization transaction.

notary meeting required symbol

Person with pencil

Signing requires meeting

This controls Sign Ahead and is automatically checked if notarization is checked as a requirement.

Signers can fill out and sign documents that do not require notarization if this is not checked.

ℹ️ If Sign Ahead is not enabled for your organization, this icon does not appear.

verification of fact required symbol

Person

Verification of fact required

A verification of fact is a notarial act used for some specific documents.

ℹ️ Available for businesses only, not available for real estate organizations.

signer can fill in symbol

Pencil with box

Signer can fill in document

Signers can fill in a document's text fields, use check boxes, or select radio button(s).

This box is checked by default.

witness required symbol

Eye

Witness required The signer may provide any witnesses required by the document, or notaries can add witnesses during the meeting for an additional cost.

Set requirements

Once you've uploaded your files to a transaction, each document will show its own requirement checkboxes to the right.

1. Open your transaction

Go to the transaction you're working on and locate your uploaded documents.

2. Review the requirement icons

To the right of each document, you'll see a row of icons representing the available requirements. Hover over any icon to see what it means.

3. Check or uncheck as needed

Select the requirements that apply to each document. You can set different requirements per document — they don't have to match across the transaction.

Screenshot showing the full document requirements view with icons to the right of each uploaded document

Summary Checklist

  • Upload your file(s) to the transaction.
  • Review the requirement icons to the right of each document.
  • Check or uncheck requirements for each document based on what's needed.
  • Confirm Notarization Required is checked if you're sending for notarization.
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Still unsure? Contact Proof Support for help.

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