What is the PA Notary? PA NotaryGlossary & Key Terms
The Pennsylvania Notary Public Exam is a required examination that candidates must pass to become a commissioned notary public. It is administered by the Department of State's examination vendor, Pearson VUE, costs $65 per test, and must be passed within six months of authorization to sit for it.
- Acknowledgment
- A notarial act in which the signer declares before the notary that the signature is genuine and was made willingly; the signer need not sign in the notary's presence and takes no oath.
- Notary Public
- A public officer commissioned by the state to serve as an impartial witness to document signings and to help deter fraud.
- Jurat
- A notarial act, used for affidavits and sworn statements, in which the signer must sign in the notary's presence and take an oath or affirmation that the statements are true.
- Satisfactory Evidence of Identity
- A means of positively identifying a signer through personal knowledge or reliable proof such as a current government-issued identification document.
- Personal Appearance
- The requirement that the signer be physically present before the notary at the time of the notarization; a notary may not notarize the signature of an absent signer.
- Disqualifying (Beneficial) Interest
- A direct financial or beneficial stake in a transaction that bars a notary from performing the act; a notary must not notarize a document to which they are a party or in which they have such an interest.
- Impartiality
- The notary's duty to remain a neutral, unbiased witness to a signing, favoring no party to the transaction.
- Unauthorized Practice of Law
- Conduct barred to a non-attorney notary, including giving legal advice, charging fees for legal advice, or preparing legal documents for others.
- Duty to Refuse
- The notary's obligation to decline a notarization when the signer appears coerced, does not understand the transaction, or cannot be properly identified.
- Notary Journal
- The official chronological record in which a notary logs each act, including the date and time, type of act, type of document, name and address of each signer, and the method used to identify the signer.
- Official Seal
- The notary's stamp that typically shows the notary's name, the words "Notary Public," the commissioning state, and the commission expiration date.
- Exclusive Control
- The notary's obligation to keep the seal and journal solely in their own possession and never allow another person to use them.