Notary Code of Ethical Practices

As Notary Publics we are ethics-bound people. We are known for and take pride in our ethical practices. Just as police officers read the Miranda rights to every criminal they arrest, we should read our code of ethics to everyone we do a notarization for. It would give the public a better understanding of who we are and what we can do as California Notary Publics.

For those of you who are not familiar with the code we follow, here it is:

I am not an attorney and therefore, by law, I cannot explain or interpret the contents of any document for you, instruct you on how to complete a document, or direct you on the advisability of signing a particular document. By doing so I would be engaging in the unauthorized practice of law and could face legal penalties that include the possibility of incarceration. Any important questions about your document should be addressed to the lender, title company, or attorney.

Remember, it is good practice as a California Notary Public not to advise on the documents you are notarizing. You are there only to witness signatures and make sure the person(s) who is signing the document is the correct person(s), with satisfactory evidence.

Do any of the California notaries have any comments about these new laws? We welcome you to share.

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