Attorney General doesn't know

Is a notary public a state officer, the Texas Secretary of State asked the Attorney General. If so, additional laws would kick in. The AG didn't know.

Pennsylvania now allows notaries to apply and renew online. For the time being, paper submissions will continue to be accepted. One advantage of the new system: it apparently automatically requests the required state senator letter.


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Why do they want my phone number?

The National Notary Association is offering a free State of the Notary Public Office 2011. But if you're not a member, you have to hand over your full name, email and phone number to get the document. Gee, do I smell spam cooking? Telemarketing headed my way?

4 businesses have been sued by the New Jersey Attorney General for allegedly illegally assisting with immigration documents. Apparently the businesses had (or claimed to have) notary publics on staff who pretended to have more authority than the office actually has. Fees quoted reportedly ranged from $400 to $2,900.


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Notaries can authenticate bow ties?

In Illnois, 250 people got together to tie a bow tie together, attempting to break a world record. A newspaper reported a notary public "signed off" on the achievement.

I looked at the Secretary of State's web site to see if notaries in Illinois adjudicate contests but the site has little information.

Can you guess why a Pennsylvania notary got her commission suspended? Same old reason: not requiring the person to appear personally. I'm not sure why that requirement is so hard.

A North Carolina license plate agency has been closed by the state. Its 3 employees are charged with a total of 84 counts of aiding and abetting notary fraud.


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