Iowa Notary cheat sheet

Iowa commissions notaries through the Secretary of State; the applicant files the application form prescribed by that office rather than with the county recorder or courthouse.

An applicant must be at least 18 years old, a resident of Iowa or a resident of a bordering state who works in Iowa, and able to read and write English.

The application requires the applicant's signature and, per Iowa practice, must be accompanied by the required fee payable to the Secretary of State; the fee is set by statute and changes only by legislative action.

A person convicted of a felony involving dishonesty or a breach of trust is disqualified unless the applicant discloses the conviction and the Secretary of State approves the commission.

Iowa law requires an applicant to take an oath or affirmation of office and to file a surety bond in the statutorily specified amount before the commission takes effect.

The commission term is three years; the term begins on the effective date shown on the commission rather than on the date the application is mailed.

The Secretary of State may deny, revoke, suspend, or refuse to renew a commission for misconduct, and the applicant is entitled to notice and an opportunity to respond.

A nonresident applicant from a bordering state must maintain a regular place of employment or business in Iowa; mere ownership of property in Iowa does not satisfy the requirement.

Every notarial act must be evidenced by a certificate signed and dated by the notary that identifies the act performed and the parties involved.

A proper certificate states the venue (state and county), the date, the notary's name as commissioned, the act performed, and the notary's signature.

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

A jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) states that the signer personally appeared, was sworn or affirmed, and signed the document in the notary's presence.

A copy certification states that the notary compared the copy to the original and that the copy is a true and accurate reproduction; Iowa notaries may certify copies of documents but not of public records.

An oath or affirmation certificate identifies the person swearing and the date, and states that the person took the oath or affirmation before the notary.

The notary must complete the certificate at the time of the act; a blank or undated certificate may not be signed and left for later completion.

The certificate must be attached to or logically associated with the notarized document so that it cannot be separated without detection.

An Iowa notary public must obtain and use an official stamp or seal that contains the notary's name exactly as commissioned, the words 'Notary Public,' and the words 'State of Iowa.'

The stamp or seal may be a rubber stamp or an embosser; a photographically reproducible inked stamp is required where the document will be recorded or imaged.

The notary's commission expiration date is commonly required on the stamp; the notary must replace the stamp when the commission is renewed.

A notary may not use a stamp that contains any information not authorized by law, such as a business logo or an advertising slogan.

The notary is responsible for custody of the stamp; the stamp may not be loaned, shared, or used by an employee who is not a commissioned notary.

If a stamp is lost or stolen, the notary should notify the Secretary of State and obtain a replacement before performing further notarial acts.

The notary must legibly print or stamp the notary's name and commission expiration date near the signature on each notarized document.

A notary who changes a legal name must obtain a new commission and a new stamp reflecting the new name.

Iowa authorizes remote online notarization (RON) for notaries who hold a current commission and register with the Secretary of State as an online notary.

An applicant for RON authority must complete a state-approved training or examination program and provide proof of completion with the registration.

RON requires identity proofing through knowledge-based authentication, credential analysis, or another approved method before the notarial act.

The notarial act must be recorded in an audio-video recording that includes the notary, the signer, and the certificate being executed; the recording is retained for the statutory retention period.

The notary must confirm that the signer is physically located in a jurisdiction that recognizes the act and must record the signer's location in the certificate.

An electronic notarial certificate must include the same elements as a paper certificate plus a statement that the act was performed by remote online notarization.

The notary must use a tamper-evident electronic signature and electronic seal that meet state requirements for the RON platform.

Records of RON acts, including the recording and the journal entry, must be kept confidential and produced to the Secretary of State on request.

An apostille certifies the authenticity of a notary's signature and seal for use in countries that are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention.

In Iowa, apostilles are issued by the Secretary of State's office, not by the county recorder or the governor's office.

A document must first be properly notarized before the Secretary of State will issue an apostille; the office verifies the notary's signature against its records.

For countries not party to the Hague Convention, a chain certification through the U.S. Department of State may be required instead of an apostille.

The request must identify the destination country and include the original notarized document plus the required fee for each apostille.

A notary cannot issue an apostille and cannot certify the signature of another notary; only the Secretary of State authenticates notarial signatures.

A document with a defective or missing notarial certificate will be rejected; the notary must correct the certificate before an apostille can issue.

Apostilles are attached to the document and must not be removed; a detached apostille is invalid.

An Iowa notary commission is valid for three years and must be renewed before the expiration date to avoid a lapse in authority.

A renewal application is filed with the Secretary of State and requires the same oath and bond as the original application.

A notary who allows a commission to lapse must apply for a new commission rather than renew, and may not perform notarial acts during the gap.

The Secretary of State maintains a public searchable database of commissioned notaries that shows the notary's name, county, and commission expiration date.

A person may verify a notary's commission status through that database before relying on a notarial act.

A notary must keep a journal of notarial acts, including the date, the type of act, the signer's name, and the identification presented, and retain it for the statutory period.

The journal and records are the notary's property and must be surrendered to the Secretary of State on request or upon resignation.

A notary who resigns or whose commission is revoked must return the stamp or destroy it so it cannot be used again.

Iowa requires the applicant to be at least 18, a resident of Iowa or a bordering state working in Iowa, and able to read and write English.

The application must be signed by the applicant and filed with the Secretary of State with the required fee.

A felony conviction involving dishonesty or breach of trust disqualifies an applicant unless the Secretary of State approves the commission.

The applicant must take the oath of office and file a surety bond before the commission takes effect.

The commission term is three years from the effective date on the commission.

The Secretary of State may deny, suspend, or revoke a commission for misconduct, with notice to the applicant.

A nonresident from a bordering state must show regular employment or business in Iowa.

A certificate must identify the act performed, the parties, the date, and the notary's name and signature.

An acknowledgment states personal appearance, identification, and voluntary execution.

A jurat states personal appearance, oath or affirmation, and signature in the notary's presence.

A copy certification states the copy is a true and accurate reproduction of the original.

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

The certificate must be attached or logically associated with the document.

The stamp must show the notary's commissioned name, 'Notary Public,' and 'State of Iowa.'

A photographically reproducible inked stamp is required for recorded documents.

The stamp must not contain unauthorized information such as a logo.

The notary is responsible for custody and may not loan the stamp.

A lost or stolen stamp should be reported and replaced before further acts.

A name change requires a new commission and new stamp.

RON requires a current commission plus registration with the Secretary of State.

Completion of approved training or examination is required for RON authority.

Identity proofing uses knowledge-based authentication or credential analysis.

Each act is audio-video recorded and retained for the statutory period.

The certificate must state the act was performed by remote online notarization.

The notary must use a tamper-evident electronic signature and seal.

An apostille authenticates a notary's signature for Hague Convention countries.

Iowa apostilles are issued by the Secretary of State.

The document must be properly notarized before an apostille issues.

Non-Hague countries may require chain certification through the U.S. Department of State.

The request must identify the destination country and include the fee.

A notary cannot issue an apostille or certify another notary's signature.

The commission is valid for three years and must be renewed before expiration.

Renewal requires the same oath and bond as the original application.

A lapsed commission requires a new application, not a renewal.

The Secretary of State maintains a public notary search database.

The notary must keep a journal of acts and retain it for the statutory period.

A resigning or revoked notary must destroy or return the stamp.