CT Notary flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Notarial act

A formal act a notary is authorized by statute to perform, such as an acknowledgment, jurat, oath, affirmation, or certified copy attestation.

Acknowledgment

A certificate stating the signer personally appeared, was identified, and acknowledged executing the document voluntarily; the notary does not verify the contents.

Jurat

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

Oath or affirmation

A solemn declaration administered by the notary; an affirmation is used when the person objects to swearing, and no document is required.

Certified copy attestation

A notarial act in which the notary compares a copy to an original and certifies the copy is a true, exact, complete, and unaltered reproduction.

Ministerial duty

The notary certifies that the required act occurred and does not determine the legal effect or truth of the underlying document's contents.

Connecticut notary statute

Conn. Gen. Stat. Chapter 33 governs appointment, term, bond, stamp, journal, fees, and prohibited acts for Connecticut notaries public.

Commission term

A Connecticut notary commission runs for five years; reappointment requires a new application, bond, and oath before expiration.

Surety bond requirement

A Connecticut notary must maintain a surety bond in the statutory amount payable to the state for wrongful acts in the performance of notarial duties.

Official stamp elements

The stamp must contain the notary's name, 'Notary Public,' 'Connecticut,' and the commission expiration date, and may be ink or embossed.

Secretary of the State

The official who appoints Connecticut notaries and administers commissioning, the notary database, and the complaint and enforcement process.

Statutory fee cap

Connecticut law sets a maximum fee per notarial act; a notary may not charge more than the statutory maximum.

Age and residency

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

Application requirements

The applicant submits a completed form, takes the required oath, and pays the statutory fee to the Secretary of the State.

Bond before commissioning

The applicant must file the required surety bond with the Secretary of the State before the commission is issued.

Oath of office

The newly appointed notary must take the oath of office before performing any notarial act; acts before commissioning are improper.

Nonresident qualification

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

Reappointment timing

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

Acknowledgment certificate contents

The certificate must identify the signer, show the venue and date, and state the signer acknowledged voluntary execution of the record.

Jurat certificate contents

The certificate must state the signer swore or affirmed the contents are true and signed in the notary's presence, with venue and date.

Certificate timing rule

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

Certificate correction rule

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

Signature by mark

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

Journal entry contents

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

Journal timing rule

Journal entries must be made at the time of the notarial act and may not be reconstructed later or altered.

Journal ownership

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

Journal confidentiality

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

Self-notarization prohibition

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

Conflict of interest rule

A notary may not perform a notarial act in a transaction in which the notary has a direct or beneficial interest.

Advertising restriction

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

Personal appearance rule

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

Identity is established by personal knowledge or a current government-issued identification document containing a photograph and signature.