Notary Updates

October 31, 2008

New Notary Laws for 2009

It's that time again; Cooler weather, the elections are almost over (thank God) and it is also time for new notary laws. The good news is that these new laws are not going to cause you too much pain. They shouldn't cost you any extra money, either.

Notaries Can Now Accept New IDs
As of January 1, 2009, California notaries will now be able to accept City, County and State issued worker IDs as long as they contain the four elements: Photo, Physical Description, Signature and Serial Number and it must be active or issued in the last 5 years.

Subscribing Witness Clarification
We recommend that you avoid using a Subscribing Witness if at all possible. Personal appearance is one of the best ways to prevent fraud. Subscribing Witness notarizations are always a last resort if the signer cannot appear before the notary. Here are the changes to the Subscribing Witness law, effective January 1, 2009:

1. Personal knowledge between the notary and the Subscribing Witness is no longer allowed.
2. The Subscribing Witness must bring a Credible Witness who knows the notary and must be known by subscribing witness.
3. The Credible Witness must present ID to the notary.
4. The Subscribing Witness signs the notary journal. The Credible Witness signs the notary journal OR the notary records the "paper" ID information for the Credible Witness in the journal. Notaries can do both if they choose to.

2009 Subscribing Witness Law Change (PDF)

2009 Subscribing Witness Certificate (PDF)

October Specials

Today is the last day to take advantage of our October Specials: http://gsn.notary.net/

Trivia Question

Last month's trivia question was a tricky one. Nearly 25% of those that submitted answers were not aware that you do not lose any days on your current commission if you renew early. The rest of you answered either the day the commission expires or the day after the commission expires is when the new commission starts (if you renewed on time). This month, we are going to have a little fun with the trivia question:

Costly Mistakes

We received a phone call from a young lady that was distraught about a notice she received from the Secretary of State. She was summoned to Sacramento for a hearing because she overcharged for a loan signing. She told me that she charged $180 for a loan package. That doesn't sound too crazy, right? Her logic for charging that amount was that the client signed his name 18 times on the various documents. She only "notarized" a few of those documents. In her journal, she made 1 entry and put $180 in the fee box. The man was upset, complained to the Sec. of State. They subpoened her journal and found even more mistakes. Now she faces a $750 fine and 6 month revocation. Your journal can be your best friend but it can also be your worst enemy if it shows you don't know what you are doing. Please be diligent when you are performing notary service. It is already a large investment to become a notary in California without paying fines. We try to help you out with our low cost video courses, but we cannot help you AFTER you have made a mistake.