Commission, Eligibility, Application
25%of exam
18+ OH residentBCI background check5-year commission$15 SOS filingAttorney exemption3-hour education course
Notarial Acts and Procedures
25%of exam
AcknowledgmentsJuratsOaths and affirmationsCopy certificationsPersonal appearanceNotarial certificates
Identity Verification and Refusal
20%of exam
Personal knowledgeSatisfactory evidenceCredible witnessesGovernment photo IDRefusal triggersFraud prevention
Fee Limits and Record Keeping
15%of exam
$5 traditional fee$30 RON fee$10 technology feeTravel fee if pre-agreedRON 10-year retentionNo surety bond
Ethics, Conflicts, Prohibited Acts
15%of exam
Self-notarization prohibitedFamily conflictsBlank documentsUnauthorized practice of lawCommission revocationNotarial negligence
Quick Facts
- Exam
- OH Notary Public
- Questions
- 30 (20-30 range)
- Pass
- 80% (24/30)
- Time
- ~1 hour
- Provider Fee
- $130 edu + exam
- SOS Filing
- $15
- Commission
- 5 yr non-atty
- Attorney Term
- Indefinite
- Bond
- Not required
- RON Fee
- $30 per act
Commission Basics
5 yr non-atty | indefinite attorney
5 years: non-attorneyIndefinite: attorney$15: SOS filing$130: provider fee
Attorney vs Non-Attorney Commission
Attorney
- Indefinite term
- Exempt exam
- Exempt course
Non-attorney
- 5-year term
- 3-hour course
- Pass exam 80%
Licensed vs general
Eligibility Requirements
- Age
- 18+ years old
- Residency
- OH resident required
- Non-resident attorney
- OH-licensed, OH business
- BCI check
- Background check non-atty
- Moral turpitude
- Disqualifying offense
- 3-hour course
- Mandatory education
Commission Term
- 5 years
- Non-attorney term
- Indefinite
- Attorney while licensed
- Renewal
- Before expiration
- Lapsed
- New applicant restart
- No grace period
- If commission expires
Application Fees
- $130
- Provider education + exam
- $15
- SOS filing fee
- Exam valid
- 12 months after pass
- Retake wait
- 30 days after fail
- Second fail
- Restart full application
Five Notarial Acts
Ack / Jurat / Oath / Affirm / Copy
Ack: voluntaryJurat: swornOath: deityAffirm: secularCopy: certified
Acknowledgment vs Jurat
Acknowledgment
- Voluntary signature
- No oath
- Deeds and recordings
Jurat
- Sworn truth
- Oath required
- Affidavits
Voluntary vs sworn
Which Notarial Act?
- Signature witness voluntary→Acknowledgment(No oath)
- Sworn statement truth→Jurat(Oath required)
- Promise to tell truth→Oath or affirmation(Affirmation secular)
- Copy is true→Copy certification(Compare to original)
- Observe signing only→Signature witnessing(No oath)
- Deed for recording→Acknowledgment(Recordable docs)
Notarial Acts
- Acknowledgment
- Voluntary signature witness
- Jurat
- Sworn statement truth
- Oath
- Invokes deity for truth
- Affirmation
- Secular truth promise
- Copy certification
- True copy of original
- Signature witnessing
- Observe signing only
Oath vs Affirmation
Oath
- Invokes deity
- Religious
- Swear truth
Affirmation
- Secular
- No deity
- Affirm truth
Religious vs secular
Certificate Elements
- Venue
- State + county
- Date
- Notarization date
- Notary signature
- Manual or stamp
- Notary seal
- Official stamp or emboss
- Act type
- Ack or jurat stated
- Signer name
- Printed clearly
Credible Witness vs Personal Knowledge
Credible witness
- Vouches for signer
- For no-ID signer
- Third party
Personal knowledge
- Notary knows signer
- No ID needed
- Direct familiarity
Vouch vs know
ID Verification Method
- Notary personally knows→Personal knowledge(No ID needed)
- Valid govt photo ID→Satisfactory evidence(License or state ID)
- No ID available→Credible witness(Vouches for signer)
- Signer signs by mark→Two witnesses(Attest the mark)
- Remote online notarization→KBA plus credential analysis(RON required)
- Suspected fraud→Refuse notarization(Report if needed)
Identity Verification
- Personal knowledge
- Notary knows signer
- Satisfactory evidence
- Reasonable reliable ID
- Govt photo ID
- License or state ID
- Credible witness
- Vouches for signer
- Two witnesses
- If signer signs by mark
- KBA
- RON security questions
Refusal Reasons
- No appearance
- Signer not present
- Blank document
- Incomplete spaces
- Suspected fraud
- Notary suspects forgery
- Lack capacity
- Signer confused
- Undue influence
- Coerced signing
- Conflict of interest
- Notary benefits
Fee Schedule
$5 trad | $30 RON | $10 tech
$5: traditional act$30: online act$10: tech feeTravel: pre-agreed
Online vs Traditional Notarization
Traditional
- In-person
- $5 per act
- No journal required
RON
- Audio-video
- $30 per act
- 10-yr journal
In-person vs remote
Fee to Charge
- Traditional in-person act→$5 per act(Not per signature)
- Remote online notarization→$30 per act(Plus $10 tech)
- RON technology usage→$10 tech fee(Per session max)
- Travel to signer→Reasonable travel fee(Pre-agreed only)
- Both RON and trad→Cannot charge both(Pick one)
Fee Limits (HB 315)
- $5
- Traditional per act
- $30
- RON per act
- $10
- RON technology fee
- Travel fee
- Pre-agreed reasonable
- Per act
- Not per signature
- No RON plus trad
- Cannot charge both
Seal Components
Coat of arms + name + State of Ohio
Coat of arms: centerName: commissionedState of Ohio: wordingCircle: 3/4 to 1 inch
Fee Per Act vs Per Signature
Per act
- ORC 147.08
- $5 traditional
- $30 RON
Per signature
- Not allowed
- Misconception
- Illegal overcharge
Act not signature
Seal Specifications (ORC 147.04)
- Coat of arms
- Ohio Great Seal center
- Circle size
- 3/4 to 1 inch diameter
- Surrounding text
- Notary Public words
- Name
- Notary commissioned name
- State of Ohio
- Required wording
- Type
- Ink stamp or embosser
RON Requirements
- Credential analysis
- Verify ID electronically
- Identity proofing
- KBA security questions
- Audio-video
- Live recording required
- Electronic journal
- Mandatory for RON
- 10-year retention
- ORC 147.65 journals
- SOS registration
- RON add-on authorization
Prohibited Acts
- Self-notarize
- Notarize own signature
- Family notarize
- Conflict of interest
- Blank documents
- Never notarize incomplete
- UPL
- Unauthorized practice of law
- Expired commission
- Notarize after expiry void
- Discriminatory refusal
- Protected class illegal
Common Traps
Self-notarization
Never notarize own signature ≠ Void act plus penalty
Family notarization conflict
Avoid notarize family ≠ Conflict of interest
Blank documents
Refuse incomplete docs ≠ Could be altered later
Fee per signature myth
Fees are per act ≠ $5 not per signature
HB 315 in-person fee
$5 traditional unchanged ≠ Only RON raised to $30
Expired commission
Notarize after expiry void ≠ Unauthorized practice penalty
Unauthorized practice of law
No preparing legal docs ≠ No legal advice
No personal appearance
Signer must be present ≠ Refuse if absent
Last Minute
- 1.Fee: $5 per traditional act
- 2.RON: $30 per act + $10 tech
- 3.Per act, not per signature
- 4.Commission: 5 yr non-attorney
- 5.Attorney: indefinite commission
- 6.Pass: 80% (24/30)
- 7.Seal: coat of arms + Ohio
- 8.RON journal: 10-year retention
- 9.No surety bond required
- 10.BCI check for non-attorneys
- 11.No blank documents
- 12.No self-notarization
- 13.3-hour course mandatory
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