Florida Notary Practice Exam 2025 - Free Notary Public Practice Questions and Study Guide.

For a notarization to be valid, the primary requirement is that the signer must physically appear before the notary public. This is essential because the notary needs to verify the identity of the signer and ensure that they are signing the document willingly and under their own free will. The requirement for personal appearance underlines the notary's role in preventing fraud and confirming that the individual is who they claim to be.

While there are important practices around signing documents in ink and retaining copies of documents, these do not affect the fundamental validity of the notarization. A witness's presence may be necessary for certain documents, but it is not a requirement for every notarization. Therefore, the signer’s presence before the notary stands as a crucial step in the notarization process, ensuring authenticity and legality.