Maintaining Your Notary Commission

As a commissioned notary public, you may experience a life change during your notary term of office. You could move out of town, move out of state, or change your name. These life changes mean your information on file with your state commissioning authority must be updated to avoid any fines or the suspension or revocation of your notary commission. 

In almost all states, a notary has statewide jurisdiction that is not limited by county boundaries. For example, a notary public in the state of Texas can perform notarial acts anywhere within the state of Texas. When notarizing a signature, the notarial certificate a notary completes typically includes a venue, in the format

The venue is the portion of a notarial certificate describing the place where the notarization occurred, usually in the format "State of ___, County of ___". The venue may seem fairly insignificant, but it's actually important. Every notary has a limited jurisdiction in which they can perform notarial duties.

There are a number of states that don't require any type of formal training to become a Notary Public. Texas is one of those states, and so is New Mexico. I have been asked during appointments, What does it take to become a Texas notary public? I have gotten to the point where I am almost embarrassed to answer this question. As notaries, we play such a vital role in the communities that we serve, it's hard to believe that there are no training requirements for some states.

Have you recently left a job and had your seal or journal held back by your employer? Have you noticed that one or more of your seals is missing? If so, take immediate action to protect yourself.

The most critical of the five notary-specific elements on a notarized document is the notary signature. The lack of a notary signature is fatal to the notarization. It is essential that the notary always signs every notarial certificate that he or she notarizes. By signing the notary certificate, a notary is verifying that the venue, notary commission expiration date, and the notary certificate are true and correct.

A notarial certificate indicates what actions the document's preparer wants the notary to perform. The venue states that the notarization took place in a particular location that lies within the jurisdiction of the notary public. The presence of a notary commission expiration date shows that the document was notarized at a time when the notary held authority to notarize.

Becoming a notary public is a noteworthy undertaking; there are many reasons why a person may apply for a notary commission. Some apply for a notary commission to broaden their professional credentials and skills for employment. Others become notaries at the request of an employer or as a service to their business clients. Law firms, shipping centers, banks, and post offices are a few of the many types of businesses that have notaries on staff.

Notaries are responsible for safeguarding their notary supplies and protecting them from fraudulent use.

Once you have received your notary commission from the state, you are ready to embark on your new career as a notary public.

An employee notary is a notary who obtained a commission at the request of his or her employer. Perhaps your company transacts with clients, such as banks or insurance companies, that must have documents notarized on a regular basis.