Missouri Notary Handbook 2013

0.27 MB·English

by  Missouri Secretary of State, Business Services Division

Missouri Notary
Handbook
J K
ASON ANDER
SECRETARY OF STATE

JASON KANDER
SECRETARYOFSTATE
STATEOFMISSOURI
JAMESC. KIRKPATRICK STATECAPITOL
STATEINFORMATIONCENTER ROOM208
[phone] [phone]
Dear Missouri Notary:
As your Secretary of State, I am pleased to provide you with this Missouri Notary
Public Handbook. The work you do as a notary instills additional confidence in
documents that are vital to the progress and livelihood of our state. Without the
information that is contained within these pages, our legal and commercial systems
could not function efficiently.
This handbook is provided to more than 60,000 notaries across the state, each of
whom takes acknowledgements, administers oaths and affirmations, and certifies
that copies of documents are true copies.
The powers and responsibilities of a notary are laid out in the Missouri Revised
Statutes Chapter 486. The provisions of this statute are included in this handbook,
so that you might always have within your reach your duties and requirements under
the law.
In addition to the statutes, this resource provides general information related to your
role as a notary, a glossary of important terms and copies of key application forms
to assist you in the administration of your notary duties.
I hope you find this book to be a useful and thorough resource in your position as a
notary public. If you need any further assistance, please do not hesitate to call our
Business Services Division at [phone]. We are here to serve you.
Sincerely,
Jason Kander
Missouri Secretary of State

Table of Contents
Explanation of $25 Application Fee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Revised Statutes of Missouri, Chapter 486 (Notaries Public) . . . . . . . . . . .4
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Application and Appointment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Qualifying at the County Clerk’s Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Term of Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Notary Public Bond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Embosser Seal and Rubber Stamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Reapplying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Amended Commissions (Name change, county change,
address change) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Non-resident Notary Change of Employment in Same or
Different County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Resignation of a Notary Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Official Misconduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Applicable Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Possible Disqualification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Executing Witness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Fees Allowed for Swearing in Notaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Court Reporters Qualified to Give Oaths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Other Notary Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Proper Notarization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Sample Affirmations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Sample Individual Acknowledgment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Sample Jurat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Sample Certificate of Facsimile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Instructions for Completing Sample Affirmations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
How to Obtain Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Document Certification Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Updated January 2013

Revised Statutes
of Missouri

Explanation of $25 Application Fee
Application, form of, fee—renewal.
486.225.2 With the person’s application, each applicant for appoint-
ment and commission as a notary public shall submit to the secretary of
state a commission fee of fifteen dollars.
State entitled to certain fees—technology trust fund account estab-
lished—additional fee, notary commissions—appropriation of funds, pur-
pose—fees not collected, when.
28.160.3 The secretary of state may collect an additional fee of ten dol-
lars for the issuance of new and renewal notary commissions which shall
be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the secretary of state’s
technology trust fund account.
3
Revised Statutes of Missouri
Chapter 486
(Notaries Public)
486.200. Definitions.—As used in sections 486.200 to 486.405
(1) “County” means any of the several counties of this state or the city
of St. Louis;
(2) “County clerk” means any of the several county clerks of this state
or the clerk of the circuit court in the city of St. Louis;
(3) “Facsimile” means an exact copy preserving all the written or print-
ed mark of the original;
(4) “Notarization” means the performance of a notarial act;
(5) “Notary public” and “notary” mean any person appointed and com-
missioned to perform notarial acts, including any attorney licensed to prac-
tice law in this state;
(6) “Official misconduct” means the wrongful exercise of a power or
the wrongful performance of a duty. The term “wrongful” as used in the
definition of official misconduct means unauthorized, unlawful, abusive,
negligent, reckless, or injurious.
(L. 1977 H.B. 513 § 1, A.L. 2005 S.B. 420 & 344)
Effective 1-1-78
486.205. Notary public, how appointed.—Upon application, the secretary
of state may appoint and commission individual persons as notaries public* in
each of the several counties in this state. The secretary of state may not
appoint and commission as a notary public any person who submits an appli-
cation containing substantial and material misstatement or omission of fact.
(L. 1977 H.B. 513 § 2)
Effective 1-1-78
*Words “notary publics” appear in original rolls.
486.210. Notary’s authority to be statewide.—Each notary public may
perform notarial acts anywhere within this state.
(L. 1977 H.B. 513 § 3)
Effective 1-1-78
486.215. Term of office.—Each notary public may perform notarial acts for
a term of four years from the date of his commission, unless sooner removed.
(L. 1977 H.B. 513 § 4)
Effective 1-1-78
4