The role of the notary is to identify individuals and affirm their willingness to sign the documents presented. In doing this a notary is preventing fraudulent activity. SD Signings suggests taking extra precautions to ensure that fraud is deterred.
Use an Embosser! Emboss the document signed along with your attached notary acknowledgment/jurat! Do it in such a way that half of the embossing is on the signed page and the other half is on your notary certificate. This is an extra precaution to ensure that your certificate is fully “attached” to the important document presented. Go ahead and staple the documents together afterward.
Another way to deter fraud is to apply a special memo with your acknowledgment/jurat certificate. The memo should state the document name, it’s number of pages, it’s date, and the signers involved. Many companies sell notary certificates that include an optional section allowing a notary to state this information. It is a great idea!
Make sure to take notes for your notary journal too, if a questionable situation ends up in court, you should be prepared with a well recorded journal entry. Case Closed.
Ultimately, the reason for physically attaching certificates (by means of a staple or otherwise) to a notarized document is so that documents cannot be exchanged or altered in the future, this fraud is being prevented.