At this time, NJNA does not recommend any specific loan signing course. The purpose of the New Jersey Notary Association is to support every New Jersey Notary Public through education and community grounded in New Jersey notary law and authorized notarial practice. Our primary focus is helping notaries clearly understand what they are legally permitted and prohibited from doing under New Jersey statutes and regulations. We understand the interest in becoming a Loan Signing Agent. However, that role represents only one niche within the broader notary profession. The majority of commissioned notaries in New Jersey serve the public in settings such as municipal offices, banks, credit unions, law firms, schools, hospitals, and corporate environments. NJNA’s educational mission is built around serving that entire population, not just the segment pursuing loan signings. It is also important to understand that “loan signing agent” is not a separate state-recognized license or commission. There is nothing New Jersey-specific about loan signing agent courses. The state-specific component is your notary commission itself. Any signing assignment, whether it involves loan documents, real estate closings, or general legal paperwork, ultimately relies on your understanding of New Jersey notarial law, identification standards, prohibited acts, record-keeping obligations, and ethical responsibilities. Even though NJNA does not make a recommendation for any specific loan signing program, we absolutely support members who choose to explore that path. We encourage you to reach out to fellow notaries within the NJNA community. Our membership includes notaries from many different professional backgrounds and practice settings, and you will likely find peers who can share experience, insight, and practical guidance as you decide which direction is right for you. Our commitment remains focused on building a strong New Jersey-specific foundation for all notaries. From there, members are free to pursue specialized opportunities, including loan signings, with clarity, confidence, and a solid understanding of their role under New Jersey law.

An eSeal is basically the electronic version of your notary stamp. It’s what you actually see on the document. It shows your name, that you are a New Jersey Notary Public, your commission number, and your expiration date. Its main job is to display your official notary seal information on an electronic or remotely notarized document. On its own, an eSeal does not secure the document. It is just the electronic form of the stamp. A digital certificate works behind the scenes. You usually never see it, but it is what protects the document. It confirms that the notarization was really performed by you and it locks the document so that if anything is changed after the notarization, it will show that the document was tampered with. This is what makes an electronic or remote notarization trustworthy and verifiable. The easiest way to think about it is this: the eSeal is what the seal looks like on the document, and the digital certificate is what makes the document secure. Both are used together in remote online notarization.

We receive a lot of great questions from members through email and the contact form at newjerseynotaryassociation.org. To better serve our community, we’ll be sharing these questions in the new FAQ section right here in your Community. Today’s question: I just received my commission renewal. My current notary journal isn’t even half full yet. Do I need to start a new journal for my new commission? Answer: Before deciding, let’s make sure your current journal is compliant with New Jersey law: - Is your journal permanently bound or sewn? - Are the pages sequentially numbered? If you answered yes to both questions—great! You have a compliant journal. There is nothing in New Jersey law that requires you to start a new journal when you renew your notary commission. As long as your journal meets the legal requirements, you may continue using it into your new commission term. Just remember: your notary journal must always be kept secure and under your exclusive control.