How should a signer add a title to their signature for a Trust notarization?

When signing a document as a trustee, for example, your signature must clearly show that you are acting on behalf of the trust, rather than in your personal capacity. You can format your signature line in one of the following ways:

Format 1: John Doe, Trustee

Format 2: John Doe, as Trustee of the XYZ Living Trust

Review the signature block on your document. It may already show your printed name with the title "Trustee" beneath it. If so, you can typically sign your legal name as usual. If the title is not shown, write ", Trustee" next to your signature. [1]

Florida Laws on Representative Trust Notarization

Florida law explicitly addresses signing and notarizing documents in a representative capacity (which includes trustees, corporate officers, and attorneys-in-fact) through the following statutes:

• Florida Statute § 117.05(13)(c): This law provides the exact statutory language required for a representative capacity certificate of acknowledgment. As the notary, I must complete a certificate that explicitly states you are acknowledging the document as a trustee, rather than as an individual. [1, 2, 3]

• Florida Statute § 695.25: For real estate deeds or property transactions involving trusts, this section outlines the standard short-form certificates of acknowledgment that I, as the notary, must use. It requires me to identify the specific type of authority you hold. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

The Notary Block Requirement

Your responsibility is to sign your name and title correctly. As the notary, my responsibility is to use the representative-capacity wording required by the Florida Department of State. 

A standard Florida representative notary block looks like this:

STATE OF FLORIDA

COUNTY OF   

The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me by means of ☐ physical presence or ☐ online notarization, this _____ day of __________,   (year)  , by   (name of person)   as   (type of authority, . . . e.g. officer, trustee, attorney in fact)   for   (name of party on behalf of whom instrument was executed)  .

  (Signature of Notary Public - State of Florida)  

  (Print, Type, or Stamp Commissioned Name of Notary Public)  

In short, when signing as a trustee in Florida, make your representative capacity clear: sign your legal name and include your title when the signature block does not already do so. The notary's role is separate: completing the appropriate acknowledgment certificate to show that you acted for the trust. Reviewing both the signature block and the notarial certificate before the document is finalized helps avoid ambiguity and supports compliance with Florida requirements.