Revised April 19, 2021 Indiana Notary Public Guide Office of the Indiana Secretary of State – Business Services Division INBiz.in.gov NOTICE: This document is intended to serve as an overview of information concerning notary public commissions and notarial acts in Indiana. Although the office of the Indiana Secretary of State takes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information in this document, where your legal rights are involved, you are advised not to rely on this document. Instead you should review the law yourself and consult with an attorney. 1 Revised April 19, 2021 Table of Contents RESOURCES ....................................................................................................................................................... 4 QUALIFICATIONS TO BECOME A NOTARY................................................................................................ 8 APPLYING FOR AN INDIANA NOTARY COMMISSION ............................................................................ 10 MAINTAINING AN INDIANA NOTARY COMMISSION ............................................................................. 10 CONTINUING EDUCATION ...................................................................................................................................... 10 NOTIFICATION OF CHANGE OF INFORMATION ...................................................................................................... 11 INDIANA PUBLIC OFFICIALS THAT MAY PERFORM NOTARY FUNCTIONS .................................... 12 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A NOTARY PUBLIC ...................................................................... 12 NOTARIAL CERTIFICATES .......................................................................................................................... 15 SELECTING THE NOTARIAL CERTIFICATE ............................................................................................................ 15 STEPS TO COMPLETE A NOTARIAL CERTIFICATE: ............................................................................................... 15 BEWARE OF “LOOSE” CERTIFICATES ................................................................................................................... 16 MAKING CORRECTIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 17 TYPES OF NOTARIAL CERTIFICATES ..................................................................................................................... 17 NOTARY SEAL ................................................................................................................................................. 17 JURISDICTION OF A NOTARY PUBLIC ...................................................................................................... 18 CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ............................................................................................................................ 18 DOCUMENTS TO BE RECORDED ................................................................................................................. 19 CERTIFIED COPIES AND TRUE COPIES .................................................................................................... 19 IDENTIFICATION ............................................................................................................................................ 20 PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE ........................................................................................................................................ 20 CREDIBLE WITNESS ............................................................................................................................................... 20 NOTARIZING IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES .......................................................................................... 21 NOTARIES WHO ARE EMPLOYEES ............................................................................................................ 22 FRAUDULENT ADVERTISING AND NOTARIO PUBLICO LAW .............................................................. 22 NOTARY FEES ................................................................................................................................................. 23 SECRETARY OF STATE APOSTILLES/AUTHENTICATIONS .................................................................. 23 CONSTITUTIONAL PROHIBITION ON DUAL OFFICE HOLDING .......................................................... 23 REAL ESTATE AND LOAN CLOSINGS; TITLE AGENTS .......................................................................... 24 BLANK DOCUMENTS AND UNDATED, POST-DATED AND ANTI-DATED NOTARIAL CERTIFICATES ................................................................................................................................................ 25 NOTARY ASSOCIATIONS AND RESOURCES ............................................................................................. 25 2 Revised April 19, 2021 LINKS TO COMMON NOTARY ORGANIZATIONS: ................................................................................................... 25 NOTARY LIABILITY ....................................................................................................................................... 25 LIABILITY ............................................................................................................................................................... 26 PROTECTING YOURSELF ........................................................................................................................................ 27 NOTARY JOURNALS ...................................................................................................................................... 27 RECOMMENDED NOTARY JOURNAL ENTRIES ....................................................................................................... 28 ADDITIONAL NOTARIAL ACTS THAT MAY BE RECORDED IN THE NOTARY JOURNAL ....................................... 28 EXAMPLES OF NOTARY JOURNALS AND ENTRIES ................................................................................ 28 REMOTE NOTARIZATION ............................................................................................................................ 29 WHAT IS REMOTE NOTARIZATION? ...................................................................................................................... 29 REMOTE NOTARY APPLICATION ........................................................................................................................... 30 REMOTE TECHNOLOGY VENDORS ......................................................................................................................... 30 REMOTE NOTARIAL ACTS AND FEES ..................................................................................................................... 31 LOCATION OF THE REMOTE NOTARY AND PRINCIPAL ......................................................................................... 31 IDENTIFYING THE PRINCIPAL ................................................................................................................................ 32 AUDIOVISUAL COMMUNICATION ........................................................................................................................... 33 AUDIOVISUAL RECORDING AND ELECTRONIC JOURNAL ..................................................................................... 34 ELECTRONIC NOTARIAL CERTIFICATE ................................................................................................................. 35 ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE AND SEAL ..................................................................................................................... 36 ELECTRONIC NOTARIZATION .................................................................................................................... 37 COMPLAINTS AND NOTARY MISCONDUCT ............................................................................................. 38 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ............................................................................................................. 39 APPENDIX I ...................................................................................................................................................... 46 APPENDIX II ..................................................................................................................................................... 47 APPENDIX III ................................................................................................................................................... 51 APPENDIX IV - NOTARIAL CERTIFICATE EXAMPLES ........................................................................... 52 ACKNOWLEDGMENT IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY .............................................................................................. 52 ACKNOWLEDGMENT IN A REPRESENTATIVE CAPACITY ...................................................................................... 53 VERIFICATION UPON OATH OR AFFIRMATION CERTIFICATE .............................................................................. 54 WITNESSING OR ATTESTING A SIGNATURE CERTIFICATE ................................................................................... 55 COPY CERTIFICATION CERTIFICATE .................................................................................................................... 56 ATTORNEY-IN-FACT ACKNOWLEDGMENT