Why Every Dealer Needs a Full Time Title Notary on the Premises

How many times in a week do you think your dealership uses a title notary?

Think about it. You already know car sales require a lot of paperwork, which is why a title notary is more useful than you might realize. Besides vehicle titles, you have out of state purchase forms, correction letters, and a multitude of other agreements that need to be sealed depending on the sale. Some states are more strict than others, but just about every one of them has notary requirements.

Are you continually sending someone to get papers stamped? Maybe it’s time to get title notary for your dealership.

Setting up a few team members with a notary seal can help keep your sales process running smoothly. The first employee to sign up would be your title clerk, and they should always be your primary notary since they handle your titles. Consider getting one for your business manager since they may need to notarize bank forms and other documents. Some dealer principles even have their own, as do the office managers just to make sure there is someone available at all times. No matter what you do, make sure you have at least two.

The most significant benefit of having more than one title notary is that you can avoid prolonged deliveries and you can use your runner for more important matters such as bank or auction runs. If you only have one person with a seal, you may run into issues when employees are busy with other clients, out sick or even on vacation leaving you to figure out another plan.

Have you ever had to prolong the delivery of a vehicle because you didn’t have an in-house title notary or your single notary was out for lunch?

Did you just deliver the car anyway in hopes you could get it notarized after? Be honest, but keep in mind that you want to follow the rules because notary compliance is no joke. Like many things in the auto business, if you aren’t in compliance you could face some severe consequences.

Notary stamps are not for sharing, and it’s essential that the person who owns the seal be the only one to use it. If you get caught using someone else’s seal you could have to pay hefty fines and serve possible jail time. You’re better off investing a few hundred dollars per person to make sure you comply, as this is not the place to try to haggle, and really, it’s well worth your investment when it streamlines your sales process and saves you time.

Notarizing forms without the signer present is illegal and could also get you in big trouble. According to the American Association of Notaries, “The signer MUST personally appear before the notary because there is no other way to confirm the identity of the signer and that she is signing freely and willingly.” Ignoring that simple principle could get you stripped of your notary privileges, and left with expensive fines. Make sure your dealership notaries are up to date on their training to avoid any misconduct.

No matter the size of your dealership, there are benefits to having an in-house title notary. It’s a lot less expensive to get an employee set up with a stamp than it is to pay for someone else to notarize paperwork for you time after time. Besides the time spent driving to another location, they usually charge a fee for their services. Prices vary by location, and some states let the notary set their pricing, which means you could be paying a lot for someone else to stamp and sign. Also, keep in mind that other dealers and customers sometimes need a notary, and if you have one, you can offer that service to them. Having an on-site notary gives you the chance to recoup what you spent setting your team up with their stamps.

You can get more information from the American Association of Notaries and also from the National Notary Association on how to sign up your employees for this invaluable training. You will save your team the aggravation of scheduling the time to leave the dealership to get your stamps and increase the time they could be spending selling more vehicles.

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