Mississippi Notary key terms

The four-year authorization granted by the Mississippi Secretary of State that empowers a person to perform notarial acts within the state after application, qualification, and oath.

The process of submitting a notary application to the Secretary of State, typically accompanied by endorsement signatures from a legislator or other qualifying official and payment of the required fee.

A surety bond obtained by an applicant and filed with the state that provides a limited fund for persons harmed by the notary's official misconduct, without acting as liability insurance.

The sworn affirmation a commissioned notary takes to faithfully perform the duties of the office, often administered at the time of commissioning or before a person authorized to administer oaths.

The date on which a notary's four-year term ends and the requirement to submit a new application, bond, and oath before continuing to act as a notary.

The stamp or embosser a notary must use that contains the notary's name, the words Notary Public, the state, and the commission expiration date, applied legibly near the signature.

Any official act a notary is authorized to perform, such as taking an acknowledgment, administering an oath or affirmation, witnessing a signature, or certifying a copy.

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

A notarial act in which the signer personally appears, is identified, and swears or affirms to the truthfulness of the contents of a signed record before the notary.

A spoken promise to a higher power or on one's honor that the statements made are true, administered by a notary as part of a jurat or other sworn proceeding.

A written statement of facts signed by the affiant and confirmed by oath or affirmation before a notary, usually evidenced by a jurat certificate.

The written wording attached to or endorsed on a record that states the facts of the notarial act, including the act performed, the date, the signer, and the notary's signature and seal.

The requirement that the signer be physically present before the notary, or present by approved remote means, so the notary can identify the person and witness the act.

The identification standard a notary must meet, typically by reviewing a current government-issued photo ID or by a credible witness who personally knows the signer.

A person who personally knows the signer and vouches for identity to the notary, used when the signer lacks acceptable identification documents.

A notarial act in which the notary certifies that a copy of a record is a true, exact, complete, and unaltered reproduction of the original, where authorized by law.

A method of signing used by a person unable to write, in which the signer makes a mark that the notary witnesses and that is usually attested by additional witnesses.

A chronological record a notary keeps of each notarial act, including the date, the parties, the type of act, the identification presented, and the signature of the signer.

Conduct a notary may not engage in, such as notarizing one's own signature, acting on a record in which the notary has a direct beneficial interest, or performing acts without required presence.

The separate registration a commissioned Mississippi notary must obtain from the Secretary of State before performing electronic notarial acts using an electronic signature and seal.

Performing a notarial act on an electronic record, where the notary applies an electronic signature and electronic seal and the certificate is attached to or logically associated with the record.

A notarial act performed when the signer is not physically present with the notary but communicates by real-time audio-video technology that meets state requirements for identity proofing and recording.

A digital image or process attached to an electronic notarial certificate that contains the notary's name, commission number, expiration date, and state, and is uniquely linked to the notary.

The real-time, two-way technology used in remote notarization that allows the notary and signer to see and hear each other and to observe the signing of the record.

The verification process used in remote notarization that combines government-issued photo identification review with knowledge-based authentication or credential analysis to confirm the signer's identity.

Information created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means that may be the subject of an electronic or remote notarial act.

The requirement that a remote notarization session be recorded or documented and retained for a set period, with the record available to the Secretary of State upon request.

A certificate issued under the Hague Apostille Convention that authenticates the signature and seal of a public official, allowing a document to be used in another member country.

A certification used for documents destined for countries not party to the Hague Apostille Convention, verifying the signature and authority of the official who executed the document.

An international treaty that simplifies the authentication of public documents among member countries by replacing lengthy consular legalization with a single apostille certificate.

The government office designated to issue apostilles and authentications for documents originating in its jurisdiction, which in Mississippi is the Secretary of State.

A record bearing a notarial certificate and seal that must first be authenticated by the Secretary of State before an apostille or authentication is issued for foreign use.

A notary's failure to comply with statutory duties, such as acting without proper identification, charging excessive fees, or notarizing without the signer's presence, which may lead to discipline.

The statutory charges a notary may collect for performing notarial acts, which are limited by law and may not be exceeded for each act or certificate.

The geographic and legal limits within which a Mississippi notary may perform notarial acts, generally within the state, though some acts may be recognized elsewhere.

The ending of a notary's authority before expiration, either voluntarily by written resignation or by the Secretary of State for cause after notice and an opportunity to respond.