10 Guiding Principles
I.
The Notary shall, as a government officer and public servant, serve all of the public in an honest, fair and unbiased mann
II.
The Notary shall act as an impartial witness and not profit or gain from any document or transaction requiring a notarial a
apart from the fee allowed by statute.
III.
The Notary shall require the presence of each signer and oath-taker in order to carefully screen each for identity and
willingness, and to observe that each appears aware of the significance of the transaction requiring a notarial act.
IV.
The Notary shall not execute a false or incomplete certificate, nor be involved with any document or transaction that the
Notary believes is false, deceptive or fraudulent.
V.
The Notary shall give precedence to the rules of law over the dictates or expectations of any person or entity.
VI.
The Notary shall act as a ministerial officer and not provide unauthorized advice or services.
VII.
The Notary shall affix a seal on every notarized document and not allow this universally recognized symbol of office to be
used by another or in an endorsement or promotion.
VIII.
The Notary shall record every notarial act in a bound journal or other secure recording device and safeguard it as an imp
public record.
IX.
The Notary shall respect the privacy of each signer and not divulge or use personal or proprietary information disclosed d
execution of a notarial act for other than an official purpose.
X.
The Notary shall seek instruction on notarization, and keep current on the laws, practices and requirements of the notari
office.
Drafting Commission
Twenty-four individuals from diverse backgrounds came together in a way that will affect the office of Notary for decades to come.
was willing to compromise but never abandoned personal convictions. Each worked tirelessly in the public interest, for more than t
years, on a task for which there was no financial reward.
We list here those individuals who contributed their time and expertise in drafting The Notary Public Code of Professional Respons
Allen J. Beermann
Executive Director, Nebraska Press Association;
Nebraska Secretary of State, 1971 to 1995
Lincoln, Nebraska
Dennis McCraven
Manager, Document Recording, Los Angeles County Regis
Recorder/County Clerk
Los Angeles, California
Catherine Brennan
Attorney at Law, Pro Bono Counseling Project
Baltimore, Maryland
Tracey R. Minnick
Notary Public and Project Coordinator, Collins General
Contractors
San Diego, California
Denise A. Brewer
Notary Public and Executive Secretary, Oklahoma Medical
Research Foundation
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Malcolm L. Morris
Professor of Law, Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Illinois
Michael L. Closen
Professor of Law, The John Marshall Law School
Chicago, Illinois
Linda Perkins
Executive Secretary and Notary Public
Phoenix, Arizona
Charles N. Faerber
Vice President of Notary Affairs, National Notary Association, and
Executive Editor, The National Notary magazine
William G. Peterson
Member, South Dakota House of Representatives; Assistan
President, Western Surety Company
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Fran Fish
Notary Public Administrator, Department of Commerce
Salt Lake City, Utah
Elizabeth J. Scheffee
Attorney at Law and Member, Board of Governors
Maine State Bar Association
Augusta, Maine
Marian E. (Mimi) Griffiths
Director of Public Services Division, Office of Secretary of State
Phoenix, Arizona
Roberta H. (Bobbi) Shorthouse
Notary Public and Paralegal, Cummings & Lockwood
Hartford, Connecticut
John T. Henderson, Jr.
Deputy Chief Counsel, Department of State
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nancy P. Spyke
Assistant Professor of Law, Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Lonna R. Hooks
Executive Director, Global Leadership Institute, Bloomfield
College; New Jersey Secretary of State, 1993-1998
Bloomfield, New Jersey
Deborah M. Thaw
Executive Director
National Notary Association
Deborah K. Kearney
Deputy General Counsel, Constitution Revision Commission
Tallahassee, Florida.
Carol S. Westwood
Notary Public and Administrative Fiscal Services Officer,
Department of Library Archives and Public Records
Phoenix, Arizona
Ronnie J. Le Boeuf
Notary Public and publisher of The Practicing Notary newsletter
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Michael G. Wright
Comptroller, Indian Harbor Beach, and Notary Public
Rockledge, Florida
James E. Lee
President, Old Republic Surety Company
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milton G. Valera
President,
National Notary Association
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