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Eligibility:
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All applicants must meet all of the requirements listed below:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Be a resident of Connecticut or have a principal place of business in the state
- Pass a written examination approved or administered by the Secretary of State, and pass with a 100% score
- Receive the recommendation of an individual who has personally known the applicant for at least one year and who is not legally related to the applicant
- Not have been convicted of a felony or crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude
- Not have had a notary commission or professional license revoked, suspended, or restricted by this state or any other state
- Not have engaged in any form of official misconduct
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Qualification:
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In order to receive a notary public commission, a person must:
- Meet the eligibility requirements
- Properly complete and submit the notary application form approved by the Secretary of State with a filing fee of $60 and pass the written examination with a 100% score. Click here to download the notary application form--
http://www.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?a=3184&q=392268
- After receiving the Certificate of Appointment and within 30 days, record such certificate and oath of office with the Town Clerk of the town where the notary resides or has a principal place of business
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Non-Residents:
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Bond: |
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Errors & Omissions Insurance: |
Optional. The American Association of Notaries recommends that Connecticut notaries insure themselves against claims of negligence through Errors and Omission insurance.
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Filing Fee: |
A $60 state filing fee is required for new and renewal notary
applications.
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Term:
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Jurisdiction:
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Appointment:
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Renewal:
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A notary may apply 90 days before the expiration of the current commission by completing a renewal application form.
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Education/Testing:
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Required. Must pass a written examination approved and administered by the Secretary of State with a 100% score.
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Notary Seal: |
None Required. A notary public may keep and
use an official notarial seal. If a notary public utilizes a
notary seal (embosser or inked stamp), the seal should
contain the notary’s commission name, the words
“Notary Public, Connecticut, and My commission expires
(commission expiration date).” If the notary does not utilize a notary seal or stamp, the words “Notary Public” and “My commission expires (commission expiration date)” must be typed or printed legibly by the notary near the notary’s official signature on a notarial certificate. A notary must immediately destroy the notary seal upon resigning as a notary or upon revocation, lapse, or expiration of appointment as a notary public.
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Record Book: |
None Required. Recommended by the Secretary of State and the American Association of Notaries. For notary supplies, contact the American Association of Notaries by calling (800) 721-2663 or visiting our website at www.usnotaries.com
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Notary Fees:
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Notary fees are set by state law. A notary public is allowed to charge for each notarial act, but not more than the following:
- Acknowledgments $5.00
- Oaths or affirmations $5.00
- Jurats $5.00
- Protests $5.00
- Depositions $5.00
- Per mile travel fee $0.35
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Authority: |
A Connecticut notary has the authority to:
- Take acknowledgments
- Administer oaths or affirmations
- Perform jurats
- Take depositions
- Protest instruments
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Change of Address:
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Required. A notary who is a Connecticut resident who changes his residence address must provide the Secretary of State with written notice of such a change within 30 days. Nonresident notaries must maintain a principal place of business in Connecticut and must report any change in their business address, as well as changes in their residence addresses, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State with a filing fee of $5. Click here to download the change of address form-- http://www.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?a=3184&q=392268
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Name Change:
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Required. If a notary who is a Connecticut resident changes his name, the notary is required to report that change to the Secretary of State within 30 days on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State with a filing fee of $5. The notice shall state the notary’s old and new name and the effective date of the new name and include proof of the change of name as the Secretary of State shall require. After the issuance of a replacement certificate of appointment and within 30 days, the notary must record the certificate with the Town Clerk of the municipality wherein the notary recorded the original certificate of appointment and oath of office or with the Town Clerk of the notary’s new town. Click here to download the name change form-- http://www.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?a=3184&q=392268
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Death/Resignation/Removal:
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If the notary ceases to either be a resident of the State of Connecticut or have a principal place of business in the state, or resigns such appointment, a written notice must be sent to the Secretary of State immediately, and it must include an effective date of resignation. Immediately upon death of a notary public, the notary’s representative must destroy the notary seal, if any, and file a signed written notice with the Secretary of State indicating the date of death.
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Prohibited Acts:
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A notary public may not:
- Prepare, draft, select, or give advice concerning legal documents
- Unreasonably refuse to perform notarial acts in lawful transactions for any person who tenders payment
- Use the phrase “notario publico”
- Notarize with intent to deceive or defraud
- Use the notary’s title or seal in an endorsement or promotional statement for any product, service, contest, or other offering
- Notarize a document without the signer being in the notary’s presence
- Notarize a document wherein he or she is a signatory of the document
- Sign a notarial certificate under any other name than the one under which the notary was commissioned
- Use a signature stamp to notarize
- Allow another individual to sign on his behalf as a notary public
- Notarize his own signature
- Act as a translator and notary public at the same time in connection with the same document
- Notarize a document if he or she has a financial or beneficial interest in it
- Prepare “certified” or “true” copies of any documents
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Criminal Offense:
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The Secretary of the State is empowered by state law to issue a written, official warning and reprimand to a notary and may temporarily suspend or permanently revoke a notary's commission for an act of official notarial misconduct, for any reason for which an application might be denied, or for a violation of any provision of the general statutes. The notary who is the subject of a charge or complaint will be given an opportunity to respond prior to any disciplinary action, in accordance with the provisions of the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, Sec. 4-166 through 4-189, of the Connecticut General Statutes. In the event that a notary's commission is either suspended or revoked, the town clerk of each town in the state will be notified by the Secretary of the State's Office.
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Notarial Certificates:
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Click
here to view your state’s notarial certificates.
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