Any person applying for a notary public commission must submit proof of identity to the Department of State. A Notary Public may need $500 - $10,000 bond made payable to the state and conditioned to faithfully perform the duties of notary public. Remember that a notary public has a fixed term in office, the length of which depends on the state, usually four years.

A Notary Public may be reappointed every four years thereafter by making application in the same manner as required for an original application. If you are currently commissioned as a notary public, you should not submit a new application. A notary public may cancel his appointment by submitting a written notice to the Secretary of State.

Generally, a person convicted of a felony cannot be appointed or re-appointed as a notary public. If convicted within their 4 year term the court in which the notary public is convicted shall notify the Secretary of State within ten days after conviction.

A notary public shall not use the term "notario publico" or any equivalent non-english term in any business card, advertisement, notice or sign. The notary public shall give a certified copy of any record of a notarial act to anyone who requests it.

Perhaps the most important

duty of a notary public is attesting to signatures on documents. A notary public may also administer oaths in depositions or other situations. The signature and seal/stamp are evidence that the signature of the notary is genuine and that the person is a notary public.

Authentication of a Notary Public's signature is often required when foreign and other jurisdictions are involved. The notary public verifies the person's identity, usually done with a driver's license, presses the notary seal on the document and signs it. There is no specific prohibition against a notary public notarizing another spouse's signature or a notary public notarizing for a spouse's business.

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