Nevada Notary flashcards

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

Commission term

A Nevada notary commission lasts four years from the date of issuance, and a notary may hold only one commission at a time.

Journal retention period

The notarial journal must be retained for at least five years after the last notarial act recorded in it, and it remains the notary's property.

Journal surrender

On resignation, removal, or expiration of the commission, the notary must deliver the journal and seal to the Secretary of State when required by law.

Name change notice

A notary must notify the Secretary of State of a legal name or address change within 30 days and obtain a replacement commission certificate.

Statutory notary fee

Nevada sets a maximum fee per notarial act, commonly up to $15 per act and up to $10 per oath or affirmation; the notary may not charge separately for travel.

Seal custody

The notary must keep the official seal and stamp in a safe place and may not allow any other person, including an employer, to use them.

Refusal to notarize

A notary may refuse to perform a notarial act if the signer's identity or willingness cannot be established, and refusal is not misconduct.

Commission eligibility

An applicant must be at least 18, a Nevada resident or have a principal place of business in Nevada, and complete required training and pass the exam.

Satisfactory evidence of identity

Identity is proven by a current government-issued photo ID, or one expired no more than three years, or by the oath of a credible witness known to both parties.

Acknowledgment defined

An acknowledgment certifies that the signer personally appeared, was identified, and acknowledged executing the document voluntarily; the signer need not sign in the notary's presence.

Jurat defined

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

Signature witnessing

Signature witnessing certifies personal appearance, identification, and that the signer signed in the notary's presence; the notary does not administer an oath.

Copy certification

A copy certification states that the copy is a true, exact, complete, and unaltered copy of the original, which the notary compared to the copy.

Certificate contents

The notarial certificate must show the venue (state and county), the date, the notary's signature, the seal imprint, and the commission expiration date.

Loose certificate

If the document lacks a complete certificate, the notary may attach a separate certificate of notarial act that identifies the document and the act performed.

Journal entry elements

For each act the notary records the date, the signer's name, the ID type and serial number, the act performed, and the fee charged.

Personal appearance rule

The signer must physically appear before the notary for a paper notarization; presence by proxy or unverified remote means is prohibited outside the eNotary framework.

Prohibited: false documents

A notary may not notarize a signature without the signer's appearance or notarize a document the notary knows is false, forged, or fraudulent.

Prohibited: self-notarization

A notary may not notarize a document in which the notary is a signer, a party, or has a direct beneficial or financial interest.

Prohibited: advertising misuse

A notary may not use the commission to advertise or promote a business or imply official endorsement, legal authority, or government affiliation.

Prohibited: fee overcharge

A notary may not charge more than the statutory fee, demand separate travel compensation, or condition the act on the purchase of another product or service.

Prohibited: seal sharing

A notary may not allow another person to use the notary's seal or stamp, and may not use a seal missing required elements such as name, commission number, or expiration date.

Prohibited: journal disclosure

A notary may not disclose journal contents or act details except as required by law, court order, or a request from the Secretary of State.

Secretary of State sanctions

The Secretary of State may deny, suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew a commission and may impose a civil penalty for statutory violations.

Criminal exposure

False certification, forgery, and fraudulent notarization may be prosecuted as crimes, and the notary may owe civil damages to a person harmed.

Restitution and reporting

A notary who violates the statutes may be required to pay restitution and may be reported to the Secretary of State; a knowing violation can end the commission permanently.

eNotary registration

An eNotary is a commissioned Nevada notary who has registered with the Secretary of State and uses an approved electronic notarization system.

Electronic system requirements

The system must provide third-party identity proofing, a tamper-evident electronic seal, and an audit trail recording the date, time, and act performed.

Remote online notarization

Electronic acts require the signer's physical presence unless conducted under the remote online notarization framework authorized by Nevada law and the Secretary of State.

Electronic journal retention

The electronic journal must be kept in a secure, tamper-evident format for at least five years and must be producible on request.

Electronic seal elements

The electronic seal must contain the notary's name, commission number, the words 'State of Nevada', and the commission expiration date, attached only to the notarized document.

eNotary identity proofing

The notary verifies identity with a government photo ID and, for remote acts, uses knowledge-based authentication or another method required by the Secretary of State.