State of Alaska » Lieutenant Governor » Notary Public Office » Changes Affecting Notaries

How Current Notaries are Affected
by the July 2005 Changes to the Law

Please contact the Notary office with any questions.

  • Current Notaries who have been convicted of a felony or incarcerated for a felony within the last 10 years may have their commissions revoked.

  • Notaries who are not attorneys are now specifically prohibited from selecting notarial certificates or assisting another person in drafting, completing, selecting, or understanding a document or transaction requiring a notarial act.

  • Notaries may not make represenations to have powers, qualifications, rights, or privileges that the office of Notary Public does not have.

  • Notaries may not violate state or federal law in the performance of authorized Notarial acts.

  • Notaries may not influence a person to enter into or avoid a transaction involving a Notarial act by the notary public.

  • Notaries may not affix their signature or seal on a Notarial certificate that is incomplete.

  • Notaries may not charge a fee for a notarial act unless a fee schedule has been provided to the signer before the performance of the Notarial act.

  • Notaries may not affix their seal to a document unless the person who is to sign the document is personally known to the Notary, produces government-issued identification containing the photograph and signature of the person signing, or produces government-issued identification containing the signature of the person, but without the photograph and another valid identification containing the photograph and signature of the person signing.

  • Notaries may not perform a Notarial act if the Notary is a signer of or named in the document that is to be notarized.

  • Notaries may not perform a Notarial act if the Notary will receive directly from a transaction connected with the Notarial act a commission, fee, advantage, right, title, interest, cash, property, or other consideration exceeding in value the normal fee charged by the Notary for the Notarial act.

  • Notaries must sign their Notarial certificates exactly and only the name indicated on the Notary Public's Commission certificate. Notary seals must contain the Notary's name exactly as indicated on the Notary's Commission certificate.

  • Notaries must affix the signature on the Notarial certificate only at the time the Notarial act is performed.

  • Notaries must comply in a timely manner with a request by the Lieutenant Governor to supply a current sample of the Notary's signature.

  • When not in use, a Notary's seal shall be kept secure and under the control of the Notary.

  • Notary seals remain the exclusive property of the Notary regardless of who pays for the seal or the circumstances under which it is obtained.

  • Notaries must provide the Lieutenant Governor with written notification of the theft, loss or compromised security of their Notary seal within 10 days.

  • Notary seals must be destroyed or defaced by the Notary when the commission expires, upon resignation of the commission or upon revocation of the commission by the Lieutenant Governor.

  • Notaries must only apply their Notary seal at the time the Notarial act is performed.
  • Notaries may now officially use an embossed seal in addition to, but not in place of, the official seal on the document.

  • Within 30 days after change of a Notary's name, mailing address, or physical address, the Notary shall inform the Lieutenant Governor of the change.

  • There is now a $5.00 fee for additional copies of Commission certificates for regular Notaries.

  • Notaries may be required to update their contact information upon request.

  • Commission resignations must be in writing and signed by the Notary.

  • Notaries who no longer meet the requirements to be a Notary shall immediately resign the commission.

  • Notaries are now subject to disciplinary action and the revocation of their Notary commissions by the Lieutenant Governor for good cause