CT Notary cheat sheet

A notarial act is a formal act a notary is authorized by statute to perform; in Connecticut these include acknowledgments, jurats, oaths and affirmations, affirmations of truth, copy certifications, and signature witnessing.

An acknowledgment certifies that a signer personally appeared, was identified, and acknowledged executing the document voluntarily; the notary does not verify the truth of the contents.

A jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) certifies the signer personally appeared, was identified, swore or affirmed the contents are true, and signed in the notary's presence.

An oath or affirmation may be administered without a document; the notary certifies the person made a solemn declaration, with affirmation used when the person objects to swearing.

A certified copy attestation requires the notary to compare the copy to an original and certify the copy is a true, exact, complete, and unaltered reproduction.

A notary must determine, from personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence, that the signer is the individual named in the record before performing the act.

The notary's certificate must be attached to or logically associated with the record and must state the date and the notary's commission expiration or official stamp information.

A notary may not perform a notarial act if the signer's identity is not established or if the signer lacks apparent awareness of the act's significance.

Connecticut notaries are commissioned under Conn. Gen. Stat. Chapter 33 (notaries public), which sets appointment, term, bond, stamp, journal, and prohibited-act rules.

The statutory term of a Connecticut notary commission is five years, and reappointment requires a new application and bond before expiration.

A Connecticut notary must maintain a surety bond in the statutory amount (commonly $5,000) payable to the state for wrongful acts in the performance of notarial duties.

The official notary stamp or seal must contain the notary's name, the words 'Notary Public,' the state ('Connecticut'), and the commission expiration date; it may be ink or embossed.

Notaries public are appointed by the Secretary of the State, who administers commissioning, the notary database, and the complaint and enforcement process.

Statutory fees for notarial acts are capped; a notary may charge up to the statutory maximum per act but may not demand more than the law allows.

A notary who changes name or address must notify the Secretary of the State within the period set by statute and update the official stamp accordingly.

Violations of notary statutes may result in revocation or suspension of the commission, civil liability, or criminal penalties for specified acts.

An applicant must be at least 18 years old, a resident of Connecticut or an attorney licensed in the state, and able to read and write English.

The application requires the applicant's oath, a completed form to the Secretary of the State, and payment of the statutory application fee.

Before performing any notarial act, the newly appointed notary must take the oath of office and file the required bond with the Secretary of the State.

A commission is not effective until the notary has received the commission certificate and obtained the official stamp; acts performed before commissioning are void.

Nonresident applicants qualify only through the attorney-licensed-in-Connecticut pathway or as otherwise expressly permitted by statute.

A notary must keep the commission certificate and be able to produce proof of authority; the commission expiration date governs when acts may be performed.

Reappointment must be completed before the current commission expires; an expired notary may not perform notarial acts until recommissioned.

Grounds for denial or revocation include felony conviction (subject to statutory review), fraud in the application, and improper performance of notarial duties.

An acknowledgment certificate states that the signer personally appeared, was identified by satisfactory evidence, and acknowledged executing the record voluntarily for its stated purpose.

A jurat certificate states that the signer personally appeared, was identified, signed the record in the notary's presence, and swore or affirmed the contents are true.

The certificate must be completed at the time of the act; pre-signed or undated certificates are improper.

A certificate must include the venue (state and county), the date of the act, the notary's signature, the notary's name, and the commission expiration.

A notary may not certify the truth of a document's contents; only that the signer swore or affirmed to it (jurat) or acknowledged execution (acknowledgment).

If the signer signs by mark or by a proxy, the certificate must reflect the statutory requirements for that method and the notary must note the circumstances.

An incomplete or incorrect certificate may be corrected by the notary who performed the act; another notary may not amend it.

Certificate language may be in a form prescribed by statute or substantially equivalent wording that conveys the required elements.

A Connecticut notary must keep a journal of notarial acts, recording each act in chronological order.

Each journal entry must include the date and time, the type of act, the document title or description, the signer's name and address, and the identification method used.

The journal must record the signature of the signer for each act, or a note of the method used when a signature is not obtained.

Journal entries must be made at the time of the notarial act, not reconstructed later.

The journal is the notary's property; upon resignation, revocation, or death, the journal must be delivered to the Secretary of the State as required by statute.

A notary must safeguard the journal and may not allow any other person to make entries; entries may not be obliterated or altered.

The journal and records are confidential as to personal information and may be inspected only as authorized by statute or court order.

A notary must retain the journal for the statutory retention period and produce it upon lawful request by the Secretary of the State or a court.

A notary may not perform a notarial act in a transaction in which the notary has a direct or beneficial interest, including as a party, grantee, or beneficiary.

A notary may not notarize the notary's own signature or a document to which the notary is a signatory.

A notary may not certify a copy of a document that is a public record or a document the notary is not authorized by law to certify.

A notary may not use the office to advertise or promote products or services beyond the permitted statutory language.

A notary may not charge more than the statutory fee and may not condition performance on the purchase of another service.

A notary may not perform an act for a person the notary knows lacks the capacity to understand the act, and must not proceed if coercion or undue influence is suspected.

A notary must not disclose confidential information learned in the course of a notarial act except as authorized by law or court order.

A notary may not use a stamp that does not contain all statutory elements or lend the stamp or commission to another person.

The signer must personally appear before the notary at the time of the act; remote appearance is not permitted unless expressly authorized by statute.

Satisfactory evidence of identity includes personal knowledge of the signer or an identification document that is current, government-issued, and contains a photograph and signature.

A credible witness may provide identification only under the statutory conditions, and the notary must record the witness's identity in the journal.

The notary must compare the signer's appearance and signature to the identification document and record the identification method used.

For a jurat, the signer must sign in the notary's presence; for an acknowledgment, the signer may sign beforehand but must appear and acknowledge the signature.

A notary must not accept an expired identification document or one that appears altered, and must refuse the act if identity cannot be established.

If the signer cannot sign, the notary must follow the statutory procedure for a signature by mark or by another person at the signer's direction.

The notary must confirm the signer is aware of the document's nature and is signing voluntarily before completing the certificate.

A notary must keep the official stamp and journal under the notary's exclusive control and must not permit another person to use them.

The notary must complete the certificate at the time of the act and attach it to or logically associate it with the record.

A notary may refuse to perform an act when the requirements for identity, appearance, or voluntariness are not met.

The notary's duty is ministerial: the notary certifies the act occurred, not the legal effect or truth of the underlying document.

A notary must administer an oath or affirmation in a manner that impresses the signer with the solemnity of the act.

A notary may perform acts within Connecticut and, where authorized, acts relating to records for use outside the state under statutory reciprocity.

Mistakes in a certificate must be corrected by the notary who performed the act, and the correction must be noted in the journal.

The Secretary of the State maintains the official list of commissioned notaries and the public may verify a commission through that office.

The statutory stamp may be a physical ink stamp or an embosser, but the required elements must be legible on the record.

Notary fees are set by statute; charging more than the statutory maximum is a violation subject to discipline.

A notary's bond must be maintained continuously during the commission term; a lapse in bonding may invalidate the authority to act.

The Secretary of the State may investigate complaints and may suspend or revoke a commission after notice and hearing.

A notary must report a change of name or address to the Secretary of the State within the statutory period.

Statutory provisions govern the journal's content, retention, and transfer to the state upon termination of the commission.

A notary who performs an act after the commission expires may be subject to civil liability and criminal penalties.

The applicant must submit a completed application, the required oath, and the statutory fee to the Secretary of the State.

The applicant must obtain a surety bond in the statutory amount payable to the state before the commission is issued.

The commission certificate states the notary's name, the commission term, and the expiration date.

The notary must obtain the official stamp before performing any act and must use the stamp on every notarial certificate.

A nonresident who is not a Connecticut-licensed attorney generally does not qualify for a Connecticut notary commission.

The notary must take the oath of office before performing notarial acts; failure to do so renders acts improper.

Reappointment requires a new application, bond, and oath before the current commission expires.

A commission may be denied or revoked for fraud, felony conviction, or improper performance of notarial duties.

An acknowledgment certificate must identify the signer, the date, the venue, and state that the signer acknowledged the voluntary execution of the record.

A jurat certificate must state that the signer swore or affirmed the contents are true and signed in the notary's presence.

The notary's signature and stamp must appear on the certificate, and the commission expiration must be shown.

A certificate must not be completed before the signer appears and the act is performed.

A notary may not add language to a certificate that certifies the truth of the document's contents.

If a signer signs by mark, the certificate must reflect the statutory requirements for a signature by mark.

An incorrect certificate may be corrected by the notary who performed the act, with a journal note of the correction.

Certificate wording may follow the statutory form or substantially equivalent language conveying the required elements.

The journal must be a permanent, bound record with sequentially numbered pages, or an approved electronic equivalent.

Each entry must record the date, time, type of act, document description, signer's name and address, and identification method.

The journal must record the signer's signature or a note of the method used when a signature is not obtained.

Entries must be made contemporaneously with the act and may not be altered or obliterated.

The journal is the notary's property but must be delivered to the Secretary of the State upon resignation, revocation, or death.

The notary must safeguard the journal and may not permit another person to make entries.

Journal information is confidential and may be disclosed only as authorized by statute or court order.

The notary must retain the journal for the statutory period and produce it upon lawful request.

A notary may not notarize a document in which the notary has a direct or beneficial interest.

A notary may not notarize the notary's own signature or a document to which the notary is a party.

A notary may not certify a copy of a public record or a document the notary is not authorized to certify.

A notary may not charge more than the statutory fee or condition performance on the purchase of another service.

A notary may not use the office to advertise or promote products or services beyond permitted statutory language.

A notary must not perform an act for a person who lacks capacity or appears subject to coercion or undue influence.

A notary must not disclose confidential information learned in the course of a notarial act except as authorized by law.

A notary may not lend the stamp or commission to another person or use a stamp lacking statutory elements.

The signer must personally appear before the notary at the time of the act; remote appearance is not permitted unless expressly authorized by statute.

Satisfactory evidence of identity includes personal knowledge or a current government-issued photo identification document.

A credible witness may identify the signer only under statutory conditions, and the notary must record the witness's identity.

The notary must compare the signer's appearance and signature to the identification document and record the method used.

For a jurat, the signer must sign in the notary's presence; for an acknowledgment, the signer may sign beforehand but must appear and acknowledge.

The notary must refuse the act if identity cannot be established or the identification appears altered or expired.

If the signer cannot sign, the notary must follow the statutory procedure for a signature by mark or by another at the signer's direction.

The notary must confirm the signer understands the document and signs voluntarily before completing the certificate.

The notary must determine the signer's identity before performing any notarial act.

The notary must ensure the signer appears personally and is aware of the act's significance.

The notary must complete the certificate at the time of the act and attach it to the record.

The notary must record the act in the journal at the time of performance.

The notary must use the official stamp containing all statutory elements.

The notary may refuse an act when statutory requirements are not met.

The notary's role is ministerial and does not extend to verifying the truth of the document's contents.

Connecticut notaries are commissioned under Conn. Gen. Stat. Chapter 33.

The commission term is five years and reappointment requires a new application and bond.

The notary must maintain a surety bond in the statutory amount payable to the state.

The official stamp must contain the notary's name, 'Notary Public,' 'Connecticut,' and the expiration date.

The Secretary of the State appoints notaries and administers complaints and enforcement.

Notary fees are capped by statute and may not be exceeded.

A notary must report a name or address change to the Secretary of the State within the statutory period.

Violations may result in revocation, civil liability, or criminal penalties.

The applicant must be at least 18, a Connecticut resident or Connecticut-licensed attorney, and able to read and write English.

The application requires an oath, the completed form, and the statutory fee.

The applicant must file the required surety bond before the commission issues.

The notary must take the oath of office before performing any act.

The notary must obtain the official stamp before performing any act.

A nonresident qualifies only through the Connecticut-licensed attorney pathway or as expressly permitted by statute.

Reappointment must be completed before the commission expires.

Grounds for denial or revocation include fraud, felony conviction, and improper performance of duties.

An acknowledgment certificate states the signer appeared, was identified, and acknowledged voluntary execution.

A jurat certificate states the signer appeared, was identified, signed in the notary's presence, and swore or affirmed the contents are true.

The certificate must include the venue, date, notary signature, notary name, and commission expiration.

The certificate must be completed at the time of the act, not before.

A notary may not certify the truth of the document's contents.

A signature by mark requires the certificate to reflect the statutory procedure.

An incorrect certificate may be corrected only by the notary who performed the act.

Certificate wording may follow the statutory form or substantially equivalent language.

The journal must be a permanent bound record with sequentially numbered pages or an approved electronic equivalent.

Each entry must record the date, time, type of act, document description, signer's name and address, and identification method.

The journal must record the signer's signature or a note of the method used.

Entries must be made contemporaneously and may not be altered or obliterated.

The journal is the notary's property but must be delivered to the Secretary of the State upon resignation, revocation, or death.

The notary must safeguard the journal and may not permit another person to make entries.

Journal information is confidential and may be disclosed only as authorized by statute or court order.

The notary must retain the journal for the statutory period and produce it upon lawful request.

A notary may not notarize a document in which the notary has a direct or beneficial interest.

A notary may not notarize the notary's own signature or a document to which the notary is a party.

A notary may not certify a copy of a public record or a document the notary is not authorized to certify.

A notary may not charge more than the statutory fee or condition performance on another purchase.

A notary may not use the office to advertise or promote products or services beyond permitted statutory language.

A notary must not perform an act for a person who lacks capacity or appears subject to coercion.

A notary must not disclose confidential information except as authorized by law.

A notary may not lend the stamp or commission or use a stamp lacking statutory elements.

The signer must personally appear before the notary at the time of the act.

Satisfactory evidence of identity includes personal knowledge or a current government-issued photo identification.

A credible witness may identify the signer only under statutory conditions, and the notary must record the witness's identity.

The notary must compare the signer's appearance and signature to the identification document.

For a jurat, the signer must sign in the notary's presence; for an acknowledgment, the signer may sign beforehand but must appear and acknowledge.

The notary must refuse the act if identity cannot be established or the identification appears altered or expired.

If the signer cannot sign, the notary must follow the statutory procedure for a signature by mark or by another at the signer's direction.

The notary must confirm the signer understands the document and signs voluntarily.