PA Notary Commission Maintenance 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A Pennsylvania notary, who was commissioned while residing in Lycoming County, moves their residence to a new home in Allegheny County but continues to work at their established office in Lycoming County. Which of the following actions is the notary required to take?
- Notify the Department of State of the new home address within 30 days. (Correct answer)
- Re-register their signature in Allegheny County within 30 days.
- Resign their commission as their residence is no longer in their county of commission.
- No action is required as their office of record has not changed.
Correct answer: Notify the Department of State of the new home address within 30 days.
A notary public must notify the Department of State within 30 days of any change to their home or office address. Since the office of record remains in Lycoming County, re-registering the signature in the new county of residence is not required. The commission is valid as long as the notary lives or works in Pennsylvania.
Question 2: A notary legally changes their name mid-commission due to marriage. They decide to begin using their new name for notarizations immediately. Which of the following is a complete list of required actions BEFORE they can use the new name?
- Notify the Department of State of the name change and purchase a new journal.
- Purchase a new stamping device with the new name and re-register their signature with the prothonotary.
- Notify the Department of State, purchase a new stamping device, and re-register their new signature with the prothonotary. (Correct answer)
- Simply start signing with the new name and provide a copy of the marriage certificate upon request.
Correct answer: Notify the Department of State, purchase a new stamping device, and re-register their new signature with the prothonotary.
To use a new legal name for notarizations immediately, the notary must first notify the Department of State within 30 days of the change, purchase a new stamping device reflecting the new name, and register the new signature with the prothonotary's office in the county where their office is located.
Question 3: A notary's employer terminates their employment. The employer, who paid for the notary's commission and supplies, demands the notary surrender their journal and stamping device. What is the notary's legal obligation?
- Surrender the original journal but keep the stamping device.
- Surrender both the journal and the stamping device as they are company property.
- Refuse to surrender the equipment, as it is the exclusive property of the notary, but may provide a photocopy of the journal. (Correct answer)
- Surrender the stamping device but provide only certified copies of journal entries requested by the employer.
Correct answer: Refuse to surrender the equipment, as it is the exclusive property of the notary, but may provide a photocopy of the journal.
A notary's equipment, including the journal and stamping device, is the exclusive property of the notary, regardless of who paid for it. The notary must not surrender it to an employer. They may, however, provide the employer with a photocopy of the journal if requested.
Question 4: A notary based in Pennsylvania accepts a new job and moves their residence to Ohio, thereby no longer living or working in the Commonwealth. Which statement accurately describes the notary's status and obligations?
- They can continue their PA commission until it expires, provided they only notarize documents for Pennsylvania transactions.
- Their commission is automatically suspended and they must await instructions from the Department of State.
- They are deemed to have resigned their commission and must deliver their journal to the recorder of deeds within 30 days. (Correct answer)
- They must notify the Department of State within 90 days and can keep their journal for personal records.
Correct answer: They are deemed to have resigned their commission and must deliver their journal to the recorder of deeds within 30 days.
If a notary public no longer resides or works in the Commonwealth, they are deemed to have resigned their commission. They must notify the Department of State and deliver their journal(s) to the office of the recorder of deeds in the county where they last maintained an office within 30 days of the resignation.
Question 5: Upon the expiration of their commission, a notary decides not to reapply. What is the correct procedure regarding their notarial journal?
- The journal must be destroyed to protect the privacy of the signers.
- The journal must be delivered to the Department of State in Harrisburg within 60 days.
- The journal must be retained by the former notary for a period of ten years.
- The journal must be delivered to the recorder of deeds in the county where the notary last held an office within 30 days. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The journal must be delivered to the recorder of deeds in the county where the notary last held an office within 30 days.
Pennsylvania law requires that upon the expiration of a commission (without reapplying), resignation, or death, the notary's journal must be delivered to the office of the recorder of deeds in the county where the notary last maintained an office within 30 days.
Question 6: A Pennsylvania notary moves their official office from Dauphin County to Lancaster County. Which of the following is a required action?
- File a new bond in Lancaster County.
- Register their official signature in the prothonotary's office of Lancaster County within 30 days. (Correct answer)
- Obtain a new commission for Lancaster County.
- Notify the recorder of deeds in Dauphin County only.
Correct answer: Register their official signature in the prothonotary's office of Lancaster County within 30 days.
When a notary moves their office address to a different county, they are required to register their official signature in the prothonotary's office of the new county within 30 days of the move. They must also notify the Department of State of the address change.
PA Notary Commission Maintenance 2
A Pennsylvania notary, who was commissioned while residing in Lycoming County, moves their residence to a new home in Allegheny County but continues to work at their established office in Lycoming County.
Which of the following actions is the notary required to take?