KS - Notary Authorized Notarial Acts Questions and Answers

Question 1

Which of the following is an authorized notarial act that a Kansas notary public can perform?

Accepted Answer

Certifying or attesting a copy of a document.

Answer

According to the Kansas Notary Public Handbook, notaries public in Kansas have the authority to perform several acts, including certifying or attesting a copy. The other options are explicitly prohibited acts. Notaries cannot provide legal advice, draft documents, or notarize documents where they have a direct beneficial interest.

Question 2

A signer brings a document to a Kansas notary and asks for a 'verification on oath or affirmation.' What must the notary do to properly perform this act?

Accepted Answer

Administer an oath or affirmation to the signer, who then signs in the notary's presence.

Answer

A verification on oath or affirmation (also known as a jurat) requires the signer to appear before the notary, be administered an oath or affirmation regarding the truthfulness of the document's contents, and then sign the document in the notary's presence. Simply witnessing a signature without an oath is a different notarial act.

Question 3

A Kansas notary is asked to notarize a real estate deed for their spouse. The notary will not receive any direct payment for the notarization itself, but their spouse is selling the property and will profit from the sale. What should the notary do?

Accepted Answer

Refuse to perform the notarization because they have a prohibited conflict of interest.

Answer

Kansas law prohibits a notary public from performing any notarial act in connection with a transaction where the notary or their spouse has a direct financial or beneficial interest. Even if the notary isn't paid for the act itself, the financial gain to the spouse from the transaction creates a conflict of interest.

Question 4

All of the following are authorized notarial acts for a Kansas notary public EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Certifying a true and correct copy of a birth certificate.

Answer

While Kansas notaries are authorized to certify or attest copies of certain documents, they are generally prohibited from certifying copies of vital records like birth, death, or marriage certificates. Only the issuing agency can provide certified copies of such records. The other three options are core, authorized duties of a Kansas notary.

Question 5

A person appears before a Kansas notary, presents a document they have already signed, and declares to the notary that the signature on the document is their own. Which notarial act is appropriate for this situation?

Accepted Answer

Taking an acknowledgment

Answer

Taking an acknowledgment is the notarial act where a signer personally appears before a notary and declares ('acknowledges') that they have signed the document. The document does not need to be signed in the notary's presence for an acknowledgment.

KS - Notary Exam Practice Test

KS - Notary Exam Practice Test

KS - Notary Authorized Notarial Acts Questions and Answers