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American Society of Notaries has served the needs of our nation’s notaries public since 1965. We offer 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-year memberships, with benefits such as toll-free technical advice, regular email tips, American Notary newsletter, Notary Locator, and more. Our members also get our best discounts on quality notary education courses (FL, MO, PA, TX specific courses, and our “All-States” notary education course) as well as on our full line of notary supplies, including notary stamps, notary seals, and our notary recordbook (also called a Notary Journal).
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• What is a Notary
• Notary Public Law
• The Notary’s Stamp, Seal and Recordbook
• The Vital Importance of Notary Education
• Other Essential Notary Supplies
• Basic Notarial Duties
• Prohibited Acts |
| What is a Notary?
A notary public is a public officer or a state officer (in most states), appointed and commissioned to perform certain functions or notarial acts. A notary acts as an impartial witness in the execution of documents, helping to deter fraud and promote the integrity of document transactions. Specifically, notaries take acknowledgments, or administer oaths/affirmations, for the execution of documents. They also perform other duties as allowed by their specific state laws. Click Here for more information about basic notarial duties. |
Notary Public Law
Notaries perform their duties in strict accordance with the specific laws, administrative rules, or procedures of their home state. While certain basic notarial duties and principles are common to all notaries, there are important differences in notary law from state to state. All notaries should therefore carefully read their applicable state laws and information provided by their state notary public administrator’s office.
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The Notary’s Stamp, Seal and Recordbook
Nearly all notaries are required by their state laws to use an official seal of office when performing notarial acts. Seal requirements are set forth in state notary laws. The notary’s seal impression provides important information about the notary, such as name, commission number, commission expiration date, and state of commission. The most common seal style is the self-inking stamp. The embossing seal is also widely used. In addition, notaries will record all their notarial acts in a recordbook or journal of notarial acts, either because it is required by state law or because it is a best practice for all notaries. | |
The Vital Importance of Notary Education
Performing the duties of a notary public can be a much more complex undertaking than many notary applicants imagine. No one should become a notary public without first taking either an online notary training course, or one in a live classroom setting. Notary education is actually required in a number of states, with a growing number of states promoting or requiring it for their own notaries. Even veteran notaries should occasionally brush up their skills with a quality notary education course. |
Other Essential Notary Supplies
The well-equipped notary uses a variety of essential notary supplies in addition to the stamp, seal and recordbook. State-specific notary handbooks provide valuable reference information. Loose notarial certificates are extremely useful when the notary must amend or replace the notarial certificate provided. Many notaries use reference books like a dictionary of legal terms. Gold foil seals, used with an embossing seal, lend elegance to any document. See ASN’s full line of notary supplies! |
Basic Notarial Duties
While a notary’s full list of authorized duties will vary depending on his or her home state (see applicable state statutes) , certain basic notarial duties are common to most all notaries. | Prohibited Acts
Many states’ notary laws specify acts that notaries must NOT commit in the performance of their duties. ASN provides a list of the most common prohibited acts by a notary. |
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