25 questions from the Connecticut Notary Public Manual. Pick an answer to see the rule behind it.
1. When must a notary destroy or deface their seal or stamp?
Answer: When the notary resigns their commission or allows it to expire. The handbook mandates destruction or defacement specifically upon resignation or expiration of the commission to prevent unauthorized use.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 19: “When a notary who uses a seal or stamp resigns his/her commission, or allows his/her commission to expire, he/she must destroy or deface his/her seal or stamp to prevent its unauthorized use.”
2. Under section 4.12, what is the required format for a notary's signature on documents?
Answer: It must be the original signature signed exactly as the name appears on the notary's certificate of appointment. The rule mandates that the signature be original and match the name exactly as it appears on the official certificate of appointment.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 19: “it must always be the original signature of the notary signed exactly as the name appears on the notary's certificate of appointment.”
3. Who is authorized to certify the accuracy of corporate information, such as the incumbency of officers, before it is acknowledged by a Connecticut notary?
Answer: The president, secretary, or another officer of the corporation. Connecticut notaries do not certify corporate facts themselves; instead, a corporate officer must certify the information, which the notary then acknowledges.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 23: “The usual procedure in the United States is for the president, secretary or another officer of a corporation to certify the accuracy of corporate information, including the incumbency of officers.”
4. Where must a non-resident notary record their appointment and oath?
Answer: With the town clerk of the town in which the notary's principal place of business is located. For non-resident notaries, the law requires recording with the town clerk of their principal place of business.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 7: “If the notary is a non-resident, the recording must be made with the town clerk of the town in which the notary's principal place of business is located.”
5. Which of the following is a mandatory requirement for all applicants effective November 2019?
Answer: Providing a valid email address for correspondence. The handbook specifies that providing a valid email address became a mandatory requirement for all applicants starting in November 2019.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 6: “Effective November 2019, all applicants must provide a valid email address and all correspondence will be sent to that address.”
6. How should the acknowledgement block be modified for a remote notarization compared to a standard in-person notarization?
Answer: Replace "personally appeared" with "appeared by means of communication technology.". The handbook instructs notaries to substitute the phrase "personally appeared" with "appeared by means of communication technology" for remote acts.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 27: “Where the standard acknowledgement says “personally appeared” the following should substituted, “appeared by means of communication technology.””
7. What is the specific requirement regarding witnesses when a person signs a document by mark due to physical handicap or illiteracy?
Answer: Two witnesses in addition to the notary should be present, and they must subscribe their names to the document and the notary’s journal. The handbook clearly specifies that two witnesses, separate from the notary, must be present and must sign both the document and the journal when a mark is used.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 13: “Two witnesses in addition to the notary should be present when a person signs by mark.”
8. Which of the following is an authorized person to take an acknowledgment for an instrument made outside the United States?
Answer: A consul general of the United States accredited to the country where the acknowledgment is made. The handbook lists specific U.S. diplomatic and consular officials, such as a consul general, who are authorized to take acknowledgments outside the United States.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 30: “The acknowledgment of any instrument may be made without the United States before: (1) An ambassador, minister, charge d'affaires, counselor to or secretary of a legation, consul general, consul, vice-consul, commercial attache, or consular agent of the United States accredited to the country where the acknowledgment is made;”
9. Which of the following officials is listed in Section 1-24 as authorized to administer oaths?
Answer: Justices of the peace. Section 1-24 lists justices of the peace among the officers authorized to administer oaths, whereas the other options are not listed in this specific context.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 29: “state officers, as defined in subsection (t) of section 9-1, judges and clerks of any court, family support magistrates, judge trial referees, justices of the peace, commissioners of the Superior Court, notaries public, town clerks and assistant town clerks, in all cases where an oath may be administered”
10. Under Section 1-39, how are acknowledgments taken prior to October 1, 1961, affected by the provisions of this chapter?
Answer: They are unaffected by anything contained in this chapter. Section 1-39 provides a grandfather clause ensuring that acknowledgments made before the specified date remain unaffected by the new chapter's rules.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 33: “No acknowledgment taken prior to October 1, 1961, shall be affected by anything contained in this chapter.”
11. If a person objects to the standard oath ceremony due to scruples or conscience, what specific wording changes must the notary make to the oath?
Answer: Replace 'solemnly swear' with 'solemnly and sincerely affirm and declare' and replace 'so help me God' with 'upon the pains and penalties of perjury or false statement'. The handbook provides exact instructions on substituting specific phrases when a signer objects to the traditional religious elements of the oath.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 15: “If the person so objects, the oath shall still be administered except the words "solemnly and sincerely affirm and declare" should be used as a replacement for of the word "swear," and instead of the words "so help me God" the words "upon the pains and penalties of perjury or false statement" should be used.”
12. What is the requirement for a credible witness verifying a signer's identity during a remote notarization?
Answer: The witness must be in the presence of the notary or signer or connected to both through video and audio. The handbook allows the witness to be connected via video and audio rather than requiring strict physical presence in the same location.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 22: “The witness must be in the presence of the notary or signer or connected to both through video and audio.”
13. In the Sample Form of Acknowledgment for a Corporation, what specific detail must the officer acknowledge regarding their authority?
Answer: being authorized so to do. The corporate acknowledgment form requires the officer to state they are 'being authorized so to do' when executing the document.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 11: “being authorized so to do, executed the foregoing instrument for the purposes therein contained”
14. When a notary performs a notarial act on a document prepared in a language they do not understand, what specific requirement applies to the notarial certificate?
Answer: The notary should only sign a notarial certificate in a language they can read and understand. The rule specifies that the notary must ensure the certificate itself is in a language they comprehend, regardless of the language of the underlying document.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 24: “When performing a notarial act in connection with documents that he/she cannot understand, he/she should only sign a notarial certificate, (the form of acknowledgment or jurat); in a language he/she can read and understand.”
15. Which of the following is a valid basis for the Secretary of the State to deny a notary public application?
Answer: The applicant's conviction of a felony or a crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude. The handbook lists conviction of a felony or crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude as a specific ground for denial.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 37: “The Secretary may deny an application based on: (1) The applicant's conviction of a felony or a crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude;”
16. Under the acts of 1833, which specific powers were granted to notaries in Connecticut?
Answer: Administer oaths, take depositions, and acknowledge deeds. The handbook lists administering oaths, taking depositions, and acknowledging deeds as the powers granted under the acts of 1833.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 5: “Under, chapter XXVII of the acts of 1833, notaries were given the power to administer oaths, take depositions and acknowledge deeds.”
17. Regarding the timing of signatures for an acknowledgment, which statement is accurate?
Answer: The signer may sign before appearing before the notary, provided the signature date is not later than the notarization date. The handbook distinguishes acknowledgments from jurats by allowing prior signatures, provided the signature date does not exceed the notarization date.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 10: “Unlike a Jurat Certificate where the signer MUST sign in the presence of the notary, an acknowledgement may be signed beforehand, however the date of the signature must never be later than the date of the notarization.”
18. Under Section 1-38, what is the minimum rank required for a commissioned officer in the Navy or Coast Guard to take an acknowledgment for a person serving in the armed forces?
Answer: Ensign. The handbook specifies 'ensign or higher' as the qualifying rank for Navy and Coast Guard officers, distinct from the Army/Marine/Air Force requirement.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 33: “or ensign or higher in the Navy or Coast Guard”
19. Regarding notarial acts for minors, what is the notary's primary responsibility concerning the minor's understanding of the document?
Answer: The notary must determine whether the minor understands what they are signing. The handbook distinguishes between determining if a minor can reasonably execute a document (judge's role) and ensuring the minor understands the document (notary's duty).
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 13: “However, the notary must determine whether the minor understands what they are signing and to do so, the notary should consult section 4.3.”
20. What is the status of a notary's commission if it remains unrenewed for more than 90 days after the expiration date?
Answer: Inactive. The handbook distinguishes between the 'lapsed' status during the grace period and the 'inactive' status that applies after 90 days have passed.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 8: “After 90 days, the commission is considered inactive.”
21. If both the seller and buyer are out-of-state residents, what condition must be met for a Connecticut notary to appropriately perform a remote notarization on their deed?
Answer: The signer must be physically located in the state of Connecticut at the time of the notarial act. The handbook specifies that when neither party is a Connecticut resident, the signer must physically be in Connecticut during the act to establish the necessary jurisdictional connection.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 28: “If both the seller and buyer are out-of-state residents, the notary should not sign the deed/conveyance unless the notary confirms that the signer is physically located in the state of Connecticut at the time of the notarial act.”
22. How does Connecticut state law treat the requirement for notaries to maintain a journal of their acts?
Answer: It is optional, but strongly recommended by the Office of the Secretary of the State. The handbook clarifies that while not legally mandatory, maintaining a journal is a strong recommendation for liability protection.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 20: “Connecticut state law does not require that notaries maintain a journal of their notarial acts. However, it is the very strong recommendation of the Office of the Secretary of the State that they do so.”
23. What is the statutory fee required for the application for appointment as a notary public?
Answer: $120.00. The handbook clearly lists the nonrefundable statutory fee amount as $120.00.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 6: “along with the nonrefundable statutory fee of one hundred and twenty dollars ($120.00)”
24. Under what condition is an employer liable to a notary for damages resulting from the notary's official misconduct?
Answer: If the employer directed, encouraged, consented to, ratified or approved the misconduct. Liability attaches when the employer's actions, whether explicit threats or implicit patterns, coerce the notary into misconduct.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 39: “An employer of a notary shall be liable to the notary for all damages recovered from the notary as a result of official misconduct that was coerced by threat of the employer, if the threat, such as a threat of demotion or dismissal, was made in reference to a particular notarial act, or, implicitly, by the employer's previous actions in at least one similar transaction.”
25. What is the consequence if a notary performs an acknowledgment remotely for a document listed in subsection (i), such as a power of attorney?
Answer: The acknowledgment is ineffective for any purpose and constitutes a violation. The handbook states that performing these specific acknowledgments remotely renders them ineffective and constitutes a violation.
Connecticut Notary Public Manual, page 43: “The performance of any such acknowledgment in connection with any of the acts described in this subsection shall be ineffective for any purpose and shall constitute a violation of section 51-88.”