2.4 The SPW Code of Conduct: 10 Guiding Principles

The SPW Code of Conduct v3.0

The Signing Professionals Workgroup (SPW) is the industry body that sets the standards for NSAs. Its Code of Conduct v3.0, approved January 21, 2016, is the baseline that the NNA certification exam tests against. Any NSA who wants to be listed as Background Screened on SigningAgent.com must agree to abide by it.

The Code is organized around 10 Guiding Principles, each with detailed Standards of Practice. An NSA does not have to memorize every Standard verbatim, but must know the principle behind each one and be able to apply it at the signing table.

The 10 Guiding Principles

The table below lists all 10 principles with a one-line standard.

Each Principle in Practice

1. Qualifications. The eight Standards under Principle 1 cover background screening (1.1), professional licenses (1.2), knowledge of notary laws and rules (1.3), knowledge of the federal laws that govern signing services — GLBA, TILA, RESPA, FACTA and the USA PATRIOT Act (1.4), certification (1.5), familiarity with closing documents (1.6), ongoing learning (1.7), and working under a supervising attorney where required (1.8). Note that E&O insurance is not part of Principle 1 — it is a separate SPW Standard (see Section 2.5). A lapsed commission voids every notarization performed while lapsed. Example: an NSA whose commission expires mid-package must stop, notify the title company, and re-qualify before any further notarizations.

2. Notarization. Perform every acknowledgment and jurat strictly according to the state's notary statute — verify identity, complete the journal entry, affix the correct certificate wording, and apply the seal. Example: a California NSA must take a thumbprint in the journal for real-property documents even if the borrower objects; an NSA in a state requiring a witness must arrange one in advance.

3. Impartiality. The NSA has no personal or professional interest in whether the loan closes or on what terms. Example: an NSA who is married to the loan officer on the file, or who is a neighbor with a known dispute against the borrower, must decline the assignment — either relationship is a disqualifying interest.

4. Unauthorized Advice or Services. The NSA may describe a document and indicate where to sign, but may not interpret terms, advise whether to sign, or recommend actions. Example: "This is the Note, your promise to repay" is permitted; "the Note's rate is high, consider refinancing" is not.

5. Illegal and Suspicious Activity. The Code's reporting channel is specific: the NSA reports suspicious activity to the NSA's contracting company, not directly to law enforcement or the borrower. Fourteen Standards (5.1–5.14) name the triggers — an absent signer, a pre- or post-dated certificate, inconsistent signatures, incomplete documents, evidence of tampering, and a signer who is unaware of the transaction or is being pressured (5.6). Standard 5.14 separately requires cooperation with authorities once they are involved. Example: a signer whose photo ID clearly does not match the person in front of the NSA is refused and the contracting company is contacted immediately.

6. Privacy and Confidentiality. Borrower nonpublic personal information — income, SSN, loan number, account data — is shared only with parties to the transaction. Example: an NSA does not post borrower names, property addresses, or "look at this huge loan amount" on social media, even to celebrate a busy week.

7. Fees. The NSA charges only the agreed fee plus any lawful statutory notarial fee, with no undisclosed markups. Example: an NSA who quoted a flat $125 signing fee cannot add a hidden "travel charge" or "after-hours fee" on the invoice; any extra must be disclosed and agreed in advance.

8. Advertising. Marketing is truthful and does not imply authority the NSA does not have. Example: an NSA who is not an attorney cannot advertise "legal services," "loan advice," or "title opinions"; an NSA without a real estate license cannot advertise "real estate services."

9. Professionalism. Principle 9 is the longest in the Code: 18 Standards of Practice (9.1–9.18) covering refusal of assignments, overbooking, delegation, cancellations, the Signing Presentation Guidelines, contracting-company instructions, document review, appointment confirmation, professional communications, appropriate attire, notification of late arrival, identifying credentials, changes to documents, status reporting, quality assurance review, and observance of deadlines. Example: the NSA arrives 10 minutes early in business casual, returns calls within the hour, and quality-checks every page before leaving the table.

10. Standards. Principle 10 looks outward, not inward: the NSA "will endeavor to maintain and raise standards of practice amongst practitioners in the signing services industry." Its four Standards are association with practitioners (10.1), encouragement of practitioners (10.2), dispensing knowledge (10.3), and holding oneself to higher standards (10.4). Staying current with the Code itself is Principle 1's ongoing-learning Standard (1.7), not Principle 10. Example: an experienced NSA mentors a newly certified signing agent through their first purchase package rather than letting them learn by trial and error.

How the Principles Work Together

The principles are not independent — they reinforce each other. Qualifications (1) and Standards (10) are the bookends: qualify and stay qualified, then lift the profession around you. Notarization (2), Impartiality (3), and Unauthorized Advice (4) govern what happens at the signing table. Privacy (6), Fees (7), and Advertising (8) govern the business around the signing. Professionalism (9) governs the NSA's conduct, and Illegal and Suspicious Activity (5) is the safety valve. An NSA who knows all ten can reason through almost any situation that arises at a signing.