当签字人无法书写他的名字时，则可以使用记号代替签名。（民法14条）对于使用记号代替签名进行公证的要求如下：
- 公使用记号代替签字的签字人需要提供可接受的身份证件供公证员核对身份。（民法1185条）
- 记号签字人需要有两名证人见证，证人需要在文档的见证人中签名。其中一名证人需要把记号签字人的名字填写在记号旁。证人仅只见证记号签字人在文书中留下记号。
- 公证员不需要核对两名可信证人的身份，或在公证簿中签名。例外：如果两名证人同时做为“可信证人”，来为无法提供可接受身份证件的记号签字人提供身份证明，则可信证人需要在公证簿中签名。
- 记号签字人需要在公证簿中做记号。为了使得该记号生效，其中一名证人需要在公证簿中的记号旁边写下记号签字人的名字，以及签下见证人的名字。
下面是一份记号签字人的公证文书样本：
注意：公证员不得在没有正确公证措辞的文书上加盖公章和签名。
Signature by Mark
When the signer of an instrument cannot write (sign) his or her name, that person may sign the document by mark. (Civil Code section 14) The requirements for notarizing a signature by mark are as follows:
- The person signing the document by mark must be identified by the notary public by satisfactory evidence. (Civil Code section 1185)
- The signer’s mark must be witnessed by two persons who must subscribe their own names as witnesses on the document. One witness should write the person’s name next to the person’s mark and then the witness should sign his or her name as a witness. The witnesses are only verifying that they witnessed the individual make his or her mark on the document.
- A notary public is not required to identify the two persons who witnessed the signing by mark or to have the two witnesses sign the notary public’s journal. Exception: If the witnesses were acting in the capacity of credible witnesses in establishing the identity of the person signing by mark, then the witnesses’ signatures must be entered in the notary public’s journal.
- The signer by mark must include his or her mark in the notary public journal. To qualify as a signature, the making of the mark in the notary public journal, must be witnessed by an individual who must write the person’s name next to the mark and then sign his or her own name as a witness.
Following is an example of a document executed by signature by mark:
Note: A notary public seal and signature cannot be affixed to a document without the correct notarial wording.
