The Empowered Notary's Creed

As notaries, we have responsibilities to meet and high ethical standards to uphold. Please adhere carefully to the following:

As a notary public for my state, I vow to act ethically and lawfully at all times and conduct myself responsibly as a public officer by following this Creed:

• I will treat all people respectfully and with dignity, embracing diversity and individuality.
  
  
• I will monitor changing notary laws for my state and maintain ongoing notary education.
  
  
• I will adhere to notary law and follow procedures established to protect the public and myself.
  
  
• I will prove the identity of every signer requesting a notarial service to the best of my ability.
  
  
• I will never notarize unless the signer is in my presence when the notarial act occurs.
  
  
• I will make every effort to establish that the signer before me comprehends the intent of the document, and if the signer does not, I will decline to notarize and instead, refer the signer to an attorney or authority other than myself who can help the signer understand the nature of the document.
  
  
• I will verbally administer an oath or affirmation or take a spoken acknowledgment for each notarial act requiring an oath, affirmation, or acknowledgment. If the signer is unable to verbalize, I will perform this duty in writing at the time of the notarization.
  
  
• I will consistently maintain a current and complete journal detailing all notarial acts.
  
  
• I will carefully keep my notary seal and journal safe from use by others.
  
  
• I will protect the signer’s confidentiality and privacy unless disclosure is required by law or if I suspect any danger to national security.
  
  
• I will refuse to notarize if I suspect or know that a transaction is unlawful or a signer is unwilling to sign.
  
  
• I will never execute a notarial act if I am personally involved in any way.
  
  
• I will never sign and stamp blank notarial certificates and will not notarize a document with blank spaces.
  
  
• I will not provide legal advice or explain the nature and intent of a document for a signer unless I am a licensed attorney, and
  
  
• I will never misrepresent or abuse my authority as a notary public and will not violate the trust placed in me by the public I have sworn to serve.