Form REC140, Notary Seal Certification, is a one-page statement published by the San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk (Recorder/County Clerk) under Government Code 27361.7. By signing it under penalty of perjury, you state what the notary seal on the attached document reads. It travels with a document presented to the Recorder for recording. On FillingPDF you can fill out the form online and download or print the completed PDF; the original PDF is published by the agency, and the document package goes to the Recorder through the channels described below.
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What is REC140?
Form REC140, Notary Seal Certification (Government Code 27361.7) is a statement, made under penalty of perjury and attached to a document, that spells out exactly what the notary seal on that document reads.
The form opens with the line "I certify under penalty of perjury that the notary seal on the document to which this statement is attached reads as follows." It then asks for the name of the notary, the commission number, the date the commission expires, the county where the bond is filed and the manufacturer or vendor number, which is located on both sides of the notary seal border. A signature block follows, with a firm name (if applicable), the place of execution and a date.
The form is issued by the San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk and is listed among the recording forms of its Recorder/County Clerk division. The Recorder's general requirements for documents presented for recording state that the notary seal must be legible for a microfilm reproduction (GOV 8207), and its legibility guidance warns against illegible notary seals. Government Code 27361.7 is among the citations the Recorder gives for readable photographic records. The footer prints the code REC140 and the revision date 06/30/2025.
The form is not a tax document and does not itself record anything: it is attached to another document.
Who needs to file REC140?
Anyone who presents a notarized document to the San Diego Recorder/County Clerk for recording and needs to attach a statement of how the notary seal reads uses this form. The Recorder takes documents that California law says must be recorded, for property located in San Diego County, when the fees and taxes are paid and the document has all the needed information.
The form is a certification made by whoever signs it. It does not say who that person must be, so the signer is the person who makes the statement under penalty of perjury and who completes the Signature, Firm Name (if applicable), Place of Execution and Date lines. The Firm Name line applies only when the signer acts for a firm.
The form applies to documents that carry a notary seal. It is not a substitute for the document being recorded and is not filed on its own. Questions about whether your document needs it can go to the Recorder's staff at (619) 238-8158; Spanish is spoken.
When to file REC140
Form REC140 is attached to the document it describes, so it is submitted when that document is presented to the San Diego Recorder/County Clerk for recording. The form prints no separate due date.
Complete it before you deliver or mail the package, because the certification names the seal on the document attached to it, and the Recorder requires that the document be properly acknowledged, signed with original signatures (unless it is a certified copy issued by the custodian of the public record) and sufficiently legible to produce a readable photographic record. Fees and taxes for the document are paid at the time of recording.
Documents you need
- The document bearing the notary seal, to which the certification is attached; the Recorder takes the original, and signatures must be original unless it is a certified copy issued by the custodian of the public record.
How to fill out REC140
Read the certification statement
The form states that you certify under penalty of perjury that the notary seal on the attached document reads as follows. Complete the lines below only with what the seal on that document shows.
Enter the name of the notary
Write the notary's name on the Name of the Notary line, as it appears on the seal.
Enter commission number and expiration
On the Commission Number line enter the number shown on the seal. Enter the Date Commission Expires in the / / format printed on the form.
Enter the county where the bond is filed
Write the county named on the seal on the County Where Bond is Filed line.
Enter the manufacturer or vendor number
On the Manufacturer or Vendor Number line, enter the number located on both sides of the notary seal border.
Add firm name and place of execution
Enter the Firm Name only if applicable. Then write the Place of Execution where you sign the certification.
Sign and date the certification
Sign on the Signature line and enter the Date in the / / format printed on the form.
Review, download and attach
Check that every entry matches the seal on the document, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and attach it to the document before you submit it as described under How to submit.
How to submit REC140
Form REC140 goes to the San Diego Recorder/County Clerk attached to the document it describes, either in person or by mail.
- In person: the Recorder accepts documents for recording at its downtown San Diego, Chula Vista, Santee and San Marcos offices. Recording is not available at the Kearny Mesa office. Appointments are not required.
- By mail: send the original document, with this certification attached, and a check or money order. For standard U.S. Mail use San Diego Recorder/County Clerk, P.O. Box 121750, San Diego, CA 92112-1750. For overnight or express mail use San Diego Recorder/County Clerk, 590 3rd Avenue, Suite 204, Chula Vista, CA 91910.
All applicable fees must be paid at the time of recording. Payment may be made by cash, credit or debit card (in person only), check or money order, and checks and money orders are payable to San Diego Recorder/County Clerk. The agency's fee schedule lists the amounts. The Recorder's staff can be reached at (619) 238-8158.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the agency's channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving the Signature line blank: the form is a certification made under penalty of perjury and needs the signer's signature.
- Entering notary details that do not match the seal on the attached document, when the form says the seal "reads as follows."
- Copying the manufacturer or vendor number from somewhere other than the notary seal; the form says it is located on both sides of the seal border.
- Omitting the date the commission expires, the county where the bond is filed or the date of execution, which the form asks for.
- Presenting an illegible notary seal; the Recorder requires the seal to be legible for a microfilm reproduction.
- Mailing a photocopy as the document to record; the Recorder requires original signatures unless the document is a certified copy issued by the custodian of the public record.
- Mailing the package without a check or money order, since all applicable fees are payable at the time of recording.
- Taking the package to the Kearny Mesa office for recording; the Recorder says the service is not available there.
- Connecting pages with seals, rivets or ribbons; the Recorder says documents must not have fasteners of that kind.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form REC140, Notary Seal Certification?
It is a San Diego County Recorder/County Clerk form under Government Code 27361.7 in which the signer certifies, under penalty of perjury, what the notary seal on the attached document reads. It lists the notary's name, commission number, expiration date, bond county and manufacturer or vendor number.
Is the Notary Seal Certification a San Diego County property tax form?
No. It is a recording form attached to a notarized document. It is not a property tax bill or payment. Documentary Transfer Tax, where it applies, is collected by the Recorder at the time of recording of a deed or instrument, not through this form.
Where do I find the manufacturer or vendor number?
The form says the Manufacturer or Vendor Number is located on both sides of the notary seal border. Copy it from the seal on the document that the certification is attached to.
Where do I send the Notary Seal Certification?
Attach it to the document you are recording. By mail, send the original with a check or money order to P.O. Box 121750, San Diego, CA 92112-1750 (standard mail) or 590 3rd Avenue, Suite 204, Chula Vista, CA 91910 (overnight or express).
Do I need an appointment to record a document with this form?
No. The Recorder says appointments are not required to record documents at its downtown San Diego, Chula Vista, Santee and San Marcos offices. Recording is not available at the Kearny Mesa office.
Is there a fee to record a document with Form REC140?
All applicable recording fees and taxes must be paid at the time of recording. The form prints no fee of its own. Check the Recorder's fee schedule or call (619) 238-8158 for current amounts.
Can I fill out Form REC140 online on FillingPDF?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not record or file the document; you deliver or mail the package to the San Diego Recorder/County Clerk yourself.
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