Kentucky Notary key terms

A public officer commissioned by the Kentucky Secretary of State who performs notarial acts such as acknowledgments, jurats, oaths, and affirmations, and who must act within the state's statutory limits.

The four-year appointment granted by the Secretary of State authorizing a person to act as a notary public in Kentucky, subject to application, bonding, and oath requirements.

A surety bond a Kentucky notary must obtain and maintain as a condition of holding office; it protects the public from losses caused by notarial misconduct, not the notary.

The sworn pledge a newly commissioned Kentucky notary takes to faithfully perform the duties of the office, typically administered before beginning any notarial work.

Any official act a notary is authorized to perform, including taking an acknowledgment, administering an oath or affirmation, and executing a jurat.

A notarial act in which the signer personally appears and declares to the notary that the signature on the record is the signer's own, made voluntarily for the stated purpose.

A certificate in which the notary certifies that the signer personally appeared, signed the record in the notary's presence, and swore or affirmed to the truth of its contents.

A spoken pledge invoking a supreme being to witness that a statement is true or that a promised act will be performed, administered by a notary authorized to do so.

A solemn pledge equivalent to an oath but made without invoking a deity, available to any person and carrying the same legal effect.

A notarial act in which the signer swears to or affirms the truth of a statement in a record, usually evidenced by a jurat certificate attached to that record.

The written, signed statement the notary adds to a record describing the notarial act performed, the date and place, and the signer's appearance and identity verification.

The notary's required official device bearing the notary's name, county, commission expiration date, and the words 'Notary Public' that authenticates each paper notarial act.

The statement of state and county where the notarial act was performed, traditionally placed at the top of the notarial certificate to show territorial authority.

The physical presence of the signer before the notary at the time of the notarial act, or a permitted remote presence satisfying electronic notarization rules.

The identification standard a notary must meet, typically through a current government-issued photo ID or a credible witness personally known to the notary.

A person who personally knows the signer, appears before the notary, and vouches for the signer's identity when documentary identification is unavailable or unsatisfactory.

A permanent chronological record in which the notary logs each notarial act, including date, type of act, signer name, identification presented, and fee charged.

The duty to preserve notary journals and related records for the period required by Kentucky law, and to surrender them to the Secretary of State on request or on leaving office.

The geographic area in which a Kentucky notary may perform notarial acts, generally anywhere within the Commonwealth, though the seal reflects the county of commission.

Conduct a notary may not engage in, such as notarizing one's own signature, using a seal not officially issued, or performing an act without the signer present.

A personal or financial stake in a transaction that prevents the notary from acting impartially, requiring the notary to decline the notarial act.

A situation in which the notary's other role, relationship, or benefit could bias the notarial act, undermining the impartiality the office requires.

The maximum charges Kentucky law allows a notary to collect per notarial act, which must be disclosed and may not exceed statutory limits.

A notary's breach of statutory duties, such as improper certification, failure to keep records, or acting without authority, which can lead to discipline or liability.

The Secretary of State's withdrawal of a notary's authority after findings of misconduct or disqualification, ending the notary's power to perform notarial acts.

Performing a notarial act on an electronic record using an electronic signature and electronic seal, with the signer appearing before the notary in person.

Conducting a notarial act when the signer is not physically present but communicates with the notary by approved audio-video technology, subject to Kentucky authorization and rules.

An electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to a record and executed with intent to sign, which a notary may certify in an electronic notarial act.

The digital equivalent of the notary stamp, attached to electronic records to authenticate the notarial act and containing the same required information as a physical seal.

Real-time, two-way technology allowing the notary and signer to see and hear each other during a remote notarial act, as required for remote notarization.

The Kentucky official who commissions notaries, adopts rules for notarial practice, investigates complaints, and may suspend or revoke a commission.