Newsletter Sep 7
- Heather MacGraine OnMyWay Mobile Notary
- Sep 6
- 4 min read
Digital Signatures vs Wet Ink Signatures: Which one is better?
According to the Michigan Law on Notarial Acts, a "Signature" means an individual's written or printed name, electronic signature, or mark, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed, adopted, or made by the individual with the intent to sign the record. In short, it’s any mark you make with the intent to sign.
What is a wet signature?
A wet signature is created when a person physically marks a document. The term “wet” or “wet ink” implies drying time, to communicate that it’s written (usually by hand, but not always!) on a physical item you can touch, like a sheet of paper.
What is an electronic signature?
An electronic signature can be anything from a typed name on a document or at the end of an email, to the image of a handwritten signature that you use to sign something through a secure signing platform like Adobe or DocuSign. You may have even used one at the doctor or pharmacy, where you sign a digital pad with no indication what it’s being attached to.
What is a digital signature?
A digital signature is an electronic signature with extra layers of security. It includes some sort of digital certificate that indicates whether the document it’s attached to has been altered since the signature was applied.
So which is better?
All of these are signatures that Michigan notaries may collect in the process of notarizing it. Handwriting forensics would probably say the wet signature is best, because we have hundreds of years of using handwriting analysis to catch and prevent fraud. IT department directors might consider the digital signature to be the most secure and therefore best option for identifying and preventing fraud. I suppose “best” and “better” are matters of perspective
As a notary, I can do my job either way. People tend to think of fraud as niche criminals with decades of honed artistic skill in their fields, but the truth is that most fraud is an act of convenience. It’s knowing you look enough like your mom to pass for her if you wear her glasses, or clicking a link in your partner’s email and signing on their behalf because no one is checking your ID anyway. It’s lying to an elderly person about who you are when you’re asking them to sign over their house. That’s why notaries use multiple methods of identifying a signer, because someone committing a crime of convenience is not likely going to know each and every red flag they’re flying.
Need a secure signature? Let’s set up a time.
Business News
In the world of continuing education, I finished the National Notary Association Signing Agent training course and exam this week. The functional design of the course made it more brutal than anything else, so it’s especially exciting to have that behind me.
The Tooth Fairy Agency is coming along beautifully. I was truly inspired and knocked out some introductory posts for each fairy on the team, so folks can get to know their potential tooth fairies. Watch for those on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest over the next few weeks.
FAQ: Do I have to sign in front of the notary?
Tl;dr: Probably, but not definitely.
Michigan allows us to perform 3 kinds of notarizations: acknowledgements, jurats (oaths) and witnessing a signature.
If we’re performing an acknowledgement, we can compare the signature to that on the ID presented to us and use additional methods of ID verification to be reasonably sure the person in front of us is who signed that paper. In that case, we don’t need to see the signature when it happens.
But when giving someone an oath or affirmation, they have to sign in front of us after swearing the oath, and of course, if witnessing a signature we have to actually witness it. In both cases, if the document was signed before the signer was in the presence of the notary, that notary may need you to sign it again in front of them. And yes, we will be checking to make sure those signatures actually match.
September Events with On My Way Michigan:
Sun 7/Mon 15: Notary Basic Education class hosted by MINA - Are you a new notary, aspiring to be one, or looking for updated education? Come join us!
Thu 11: Washtenaw County Senior Leaders - If you own or work for a Senior/Disability-focused business, come to the WCSL meeting to connect with other folks passionate about serving this particular demographic.
SUN 14: Drop-In Notary Hour is 9am at Vertex coffee in Ypsilanti.
Sat 20: Drop-In Notary Hour is 12:30pm at Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti.
Drop-in hour services include:
notarizations for $10 each with no travel fee
wedding certificate signings for $50 (BYO witnesses)
I-9 verification for $40
questions about services and what you’ll need for a future appointment for $absolutely free!
Frequently requested links:
