AR Notary AR-Notary Term of Commission, Renewal, and Resignation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The ten-year term of an Arkansas notary commission begins on what date?
- The date the application is mailed
- The date shown on the commission issued by the Secretary of State (Correct answer)
- January 1 of the application year
- The date the bond premium is paid
Correct answer: The date shown on the commission issued by the Secretary of State
The term runs for ten years from the commission date issued by the Secretary of State.
Question 2: A notary whose commission expired last month notarizes a deed anyway. This act is best described as:
- Valid because the notary acted in good faith
- An unauthorized notarial act that can expose the notary to liability (Correct answer)
- Valid if the signer did not object
- Automatically cured once the notary renews
Correct answer: An unauthorized notarial act that can expose the notary to liability
Notarizing without a valid commission is unauthorized and can create civil and administrative liability.
Question 3: Upon renewing their commission, an Arkansas notary receives a new commission with a new expiration date. Their seal must:
- Show the old expiration date for continuity
- Be updated so the information matches the new commission (Correct answer)
- Omit any expiration information
- Be borrowed from another notary until a new one arrives
Correct answer: Be updated so the information matches the new commission
The seal must accurately reflect the notary's current commission information.
Question 4: Which of the following ends an Arkansas notary commission before its natural expiration?
- Resignation submitted to the Secretary of State (Correct answer)
- Taking a two-week vacation out of state
- Changing employers within Arkansas
- Renewing a driver's license late
Correct answer: Resignation submitted to the Secretary of State
A resignation delivered to the Secretary of State terminates the commission before its scheduled end.
Question 5: A notary who moves out of Arkansas and no longer lives or works in the state should:
- Continue notarizing Arkansas documents by mail
- Resign the commission or let it lapse because eligibility is lost (Correct answer)
- Transfer the commission to a relative
- Ask a county clerk to hold the commission
Correct answer: Resign the commission or let it lapse because eligibility is lost
Losing Arkansas residency or employment ends eligibility, so the notary should resign or cease acting.
Question 6: What is the practical reason Arkansas requires a new surety bond at each renewal?
- Bonds are only decorative
- The bond protects the public during each ten-year term and must cover the new term (Correct answer)
- The state invests the bond money
- Bond companies require it for marketing
Correct answer: The bond protects the public during each ten-year term and must cover the new term
Each bond covers claims arising during the term it secures, so a new term needs a new bond.
Question 7: A notary's resignation letter to the Secretary of State should include:
- Only a signature with no other details
- The notary's name, commission information, and the effective date of resignation (Correct answer)
- A list of every document ever notarized
- A payment for a resignation fee
Correct answer: The notary's name, commission information, and the effective date of resignation
Identifying the notary, the commission, and the effective date lets the state properly close the record.
AR Notary AR-Notary Term of Commission, Renewal, and Resignation 3
The ten-year term of an Arkansas notary commission begins on what date?