What should a notary do if they are unsure of a signer's competency?

A notary must ensure that the person signing a document is competent to do so. Competency generally refers to the signer's mental ability to understand the nature and consequences of the transaction they are engaging in. If there is any doubt about a signer's competency, the notary has an ethical and legal obligation to address that uncertainty.

By refusing to notarize until competency is confirmed, the notary protects both the signer's interests and the integrity of the notarization process. Notarization is meant to assure that the person signing the document is doing so voluntarily and understands what they are signing. If this understanding is in question, proceeding with a notarization could lead to future legal issues, including claims of fraud or undue influence.

The other options do not sufficiently address the critical need for confirming the signer's competency. Simply proceeding with the notarization disregards due diligence and could result in legal ramifications. Asking for a witness to sign or requesting a competency test is also not appropriate within the notary's scope of practice; the notary's job is not to determine competency through tests or additional witnesses but to ensure clarity in the transaction taking place. Thus, waiting for competency confirmation is the most responsible and legally sound course of action.