Alaska Notary cheat sheet

A notarial act is any act a notary is authorized to perform under Alaska law, including acknowledgments, jurats, oaths, affirmations, copy certifications, and signature witnessing.

In an acknowledgment, the notary certifies the signer personally appeared, was identified, and acknowledged executing the document voluntarily; the notary need not administer an oath.

In a jurat, the notary administers an oath or affirmation and certifies the signer swore to or affirmed the truth of the document's contents in the notary's presence.

Personal appearance is required for all notarial acts; a notary may not notarize for a signer who is not physically present before the notary at the time of the act.

Satisfactory evidence of identity may be a government-issued photo ID, a credible identifying witness known to the notary, or other verification methods permitted by Alaska statute.

A notary may certify copies of tangible original documents but may not certify copies of publicly recordable documents such as birth, death, or marriage certificates or recorded public records.

A notary may refuse to perform a notarial act for any lawful reason, but may not refuse based on a signer's race, religion, national origin, sex, or other protected characteristic.

The notary's term of office is four years, and a notary may perform notarial acts throughout Alaska, not only in the notary's home community.

An applicant must be at least 18 years old, a resident of Alaska or otherwise qualified under statute, and able to read and write English.

An applicant must not have been convicted of a felony or a crime involving dishonesty within the statutory lookback period unless the lieutenant governor determines the applicant is fit.

The application is filed with the lieutenant governor, who serves as the commissioning authority for Alaska notaries, along with the required fee and any bond or oath documentation.

An applicant must submit a surety bond in the statutorily required amount, payable to the State of Alaska, conditioned on faithful performance of notarial duties.

The applicant takes an oath of office and files it with the commissioning authority before exercising notarial powers.

A notary must obtain an official seal or stamp containing the notary's name, the words 'Notary Public,' the State of Alaska, and the commission expiration date.

A notary commission may be renewed by timely application before expiration; a lapsed commission requires a new application rather than a renewal.

The lieutenant governor may deny, suspend, or revoke a commission for misconduct, and the notary is entitled to notice and an opportunity to respond.

Every notarial act must be evidenced by a certificate signed and dated by the notary at the time the act is performed.

The certificate must state the notary's name, the act performed, the date and place of the act, and the signer's identity verification method.

A certificate must be attached to or logically associated with the document notarized; a loose certificate not tied to the document is improper.

The notary must keep a journal of notarial acts recording the date, time, type of act, signer's name and address, identification presented, and signature of the signer.

Journal entries must be retained for the statutory retention period, generally several years after the commission ends, and must be surrendered or reported to the state on demand.

A notary may correct a clerical error in a certificate by issuing a corrected certificate, but may not alter a completed certificate to change the substance of the act.

If the notary's seal is not legible or missing, the notary may reapply the seal or attach a statement describing the defect rather than falsifying a new certificate.

The notary's journal is confidential; the notary may disclose information from it only as authorized by law, such as in response to a subpoena or court order.

A notary may not perform a notarial act in which the notary has a direct financial or beneficial interest, or is a party to the transaction.

A notary may not notarize the notary's own signature, and generally may not notarize for a spouse, parent, or child where a conflict of interest exists.

A notary may not charge more than the statutory maximum fee per notarial act; charging an unauthorized fee is grounds for discipline.

A notary may not use the notarial office to advertise legal services, give legal advice, or draft legal documents for another person.

A notary may not certify that a document is true or accurate in content; the notary certifies only the act of acknowledgment or the administration of an oath.

A notary may not perform a notarial act if the signer appears incompetent, is under duress, or does not understand the nature of the document.

A notary may not disclose confidential information learned in the course of notarial duties except as required by law.

Falsifying a notarial certificate, backdating an act, or using a seal after a commission expires is a crime and grounds for revocation.