notary-handbook-2016

general information
Be sure the address change notification is signed and dated by the notary public. The change
of address can be submitted in letter form or, for convenience, an address change form is
available on the Secretary of State’s website or can be mailed to you upon request.
Foreign Language
A notary public can notarize a signature on a document in a foreign language with which
the notary public is not familiar, since a notary public’s function only relates to the signature
and not the contents of the document. The notary public should be able to identify the type
of document being notarized for entry in the notary public’s journal. If unable to identify the
type of document, the notary public must make an entry to that effect in the journal (e.g., “a
document in a foreign language”). The notary public should be mindful of the completeness
of the document and must not notarize the signature on the document if the document appears
to be incomplete. The notary public is responsible for completing the acknowledgment or jurat
form. When notarizing a signature on a document, a notary public must be able to communicate
with the customer in order for the signer either to swear to or affirm the contents of the affidavit
or to acknowledge the execution of the document. An interpreter should not be used, as vital
information could be lost in the translation. If a notary public is unable to communicate with
a customer, the customer should be referred to a notary public who speaks the customer’s
language.
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