Signing & Certificates

Placing signing fields

Before the client signs, you set up the signing fields on the document:

1. In the session panel, click Edit Signing Fields for the active document.
2. The Signing Field Editor opens with the document displayed.
3. Drag and drop fields onto the pages:
   • Signature — where the client, witness, or you sign
   • Initials — for page-by-page initials
   • Date — auto-filled with the session date
   • Seal — where your digital seal is applied
4. Click Save Fields when done.

You can place fields for multiple signatories — the client, any witnesses, and yourself.

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The signing flow

Once fields are placed, the session proceeds through the signing steps in sequence.

Client signature

The client sees the document with their assigned fields highlighted in blue. They can sign in two ways:

Typed signature

1. The client types their full name.
2. They choose from four signature font styles.
3. They confirm their intent and click Sign — the signature image is placed on the field.

Handwritten signature via QR code

1. Toggle Require handwritten on the field in the signing field editor.
2. During the session, the client clicks Show QR Code in their signing panel.
3. They scan it on their phone — a handwriting pad opens.
4. They draw their signature and tap Submit.
5. The signature is transmitted back to the session in real time.

Witness signature

Witnesses follow the same signing process as clients, on their assigned fields.

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Your signature and seal

You have three ways to apply your signature to Signature and Initials fields — and one dedicated method for the Seal field.

Option A — Typed signature (default)

If no signature image is provided, your signature fields default to the typed method — the same as clients. Type your name and choose from four font styles. A live preview of how the signature will appear on the document is shown before you sign.

Option B — Draw or upload a signature image (in-session)

During a session, when you reach a Signature or Initials field, an optional "Signature image" panel appears below the typed name input. Expand it to choose between two methods:

Draw tab

1. Draw your signature directly on the canvas using your mouse, trackpad, or a stylus.
2. Click Clear to start again if needed.
3. Click Use this signature — your drawn signature is captured and shown as a thumbnail.

Upload tab

1. Click Choose image and select a PNG or JPEG of your handwritten signature (max 500 KB).
2. The image is loaded directly into the session — no server upload at this point.
3. A thumbnail preview appears to confirm it looks correct.

Once a signature image is set (drawn or uploaded), clicking Sign uses it instead of rendering your typed name. You can click Change next to the thumbnail at any time to replace it, or the trash icon to clear it and fall back to the typed method.

Your signature image is not stored

Notarise It© does not save, store, or retain your drawn or uploaded signature in any way. It exists only in memory for the duration of the current session and is permanently discarded when the session ends. You will need to draw or upload it again at the start of each session. This is by design — the less user data we hold, the better.

Option C — Handwritten QR signature

You can also request a QR-based handwritten signature for your own fields, just as a client would. Click Show QR Code, scan it on your phone, draw on the handwriting pad, and tap Submit. The signature is transmitted back to the session in real time. This is less common but available if preferred.

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Your notary seal

The Seal field always uses your registered digital seal PNG — the image generated from your Supreme Court Number (SCN) during Digital Seal Setup.

To apply your seal during a session:

1. In your signing panel, navigate to the Seal field.
2. Confirm your intent and click Sign.

Your seal is placed on the field and the signed field becomes visible to all participants immediately.

INFO

Your seal image is fetched automatically from your profile each time you join a session. If you have updated your seal (see Digital Seal Setup), the new version is used from the next session onwards.

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Document finalisation

After all parties have signed:

1. Click Finalise Document.
2. The platform embeds the actual signature images into the final PDF.
3. A TSA timestamp (RFC 3161) is embedded — a cryptographic proof of the exact date and time of signing, issued by a trusted timestamping authority.
4. The document is locked and cannot be modified.

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Certificate generation

When you click Complete Session, the platform automatically:

1. Generates a notarial certificate PDF containing:
   • Your name and Supreme Court Number (SCN)
   • Client name and document details
   • Session ID and jurisdiction classification
   • West Africa Time (WAT) timestamp
   • SHA-256 document hash (tamper detection)
   • Your digital seal (embedded)
   • A QR code linking to the public verification page
2. Signs the certificate with the platform's RSA-PSS key.
3. Stores the certificate in secure cloud storage.
4. Emails the certificate to you, the client, and any witnesses.

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Public certificate verification

Anyone can verify a certificate at any time — no account required:

1. Scan the QR code on the certificate, or
2. Visit www.notariseit.com/verify and enter the certificate ID.

The verification page confirms authenticity, the document hash, your SCN and name, and the jurisdiction of the notarisation.

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Evidence bundle

For sessions that may require formal submission (e.g. court filings):

1. Go to Sessions → [Completed Session] → Download Evidence Bundle.
2. The bundle is a ZIP containing the signed document, the notarial certificate, and the session audit trail.

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Chief Registrar submissions

Under s.6(5) of the Notary Public Act 2023, Notarise It© automatically emails a copy of the notarised documents and certificate to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court on your behalf when you complete a session.

You can view submission status, toggle opt-in, and manually trigger sends from Dashboard → CR Submissions in the sidebar.

See Chief Registrar Submissions for the full guide.