Posted by bfnotary on 8/22/12 1:47pm
Msg #431466

Is it true that in NY, they don't require you to get bonded?

I am actually going to become a notary in Ny. I called the Department of state today and found out that I was able to do so. They said all I had to do was go take the state exam in NY, send in results with application and that is pretty much it. Do you have to register signature at courthouse or take oath or anything else? I am still researching on it. I am hoping to take test within the next few tuesdays. Closest one to me is in buffalo. 1 hr 39 minute drive. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Reply by CentralNY on 8/22/12 1:51pm
Msg #431467

No bonding in NYS. You take the test and if pass you get the license from the state in the mail and go buy your stamp. I would recommend that you study the test as it can be tricky. Many attorneys fail it first round as they think easy, not.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 8/22/12 1:58pm
Msg #431469

For reference...do you have a place of busines in NY?

"Out-of-State Residents. Attorneys, residing out of State, who are admitted to practice in the State and who maintain a law office within the State are deemed to be residents of the county where the office is maintained. Nonresidents other than attorneys who have offices or places of business in New York State may also become notaries. The oath of office and signature of the notary must be filed in the office of the county clerk of the county in which the office or place of business is located"

http://www.dos.ny.gov/licensing/lawbooks/notary.pdf

Reply by bfnotary on 8/22/12 2:24pm
Msg #431474

Re: For reference...do you have a place of busines in NY?

I don't have a full time job in Ny, however I do some charity work, in a few states for Hunt of a Lifetime. And that works as long as there is a NY address, I spoke with department of state(NY) today and they said it will qualify me.

Reply by MikeC/TX on 8/22/12 1:59pm
Msg #431471

About a month after you pass the notary exam, you'll receive your commission and a form that contains your oath of office and a place to provide a sample signature. You take your oath before another notary, then send the completed oath and the signature sample to the clerk of whatever county you qualified in. That's all there is to it.

There is no bond required in NY.

Do yourself a favor and study the "Notary License Law" booklet they have on line before you take the test. The test is not difficult, but there are some obscure questions (for instance, the may ask what class felony - A,B,C,D,or E - a particular notarial infraction would be).

Good luck.

Reply by CentralNY on 8/22/12 2:01pm
Msg #431472

I got comm in 1994 and did not have to do any of that. Just pass the test and was mailed the license.

Reply by bfnotary on 8/22/12 2:27pm
Msg #431475

Thanks for all the responses. It is really appreciated. I definately will study up on it before I take the exam. I was going to go next tuesday, but it will probably be busy work that week. Therefor, I will probably go the following tuesday.

Reply by MikeC/TX on 8/22/12 4:18pm
Msg #431498

"I got comm in 1994 and did not have to do any of that. Just pass the test and was mailed the license."

It changed at some point. I got my NY commission in 2006, and those were the requirements then.

Reply by bfnotary on 8/22/12 4:35pm
Msg #431500

Ty Mike/C. I was studying up on it after I posted this, and saw that part, about the oath and signature, in front of a notary. But I do have one question. Maybe you know the answer to it. I could not find the answer to it. When I have the document notarized, can I have a pennsylvania notary do it, or does it have to be done in New York. I am thinking any notary could do it, but I don't want to be wrong and have it rejected. Thanks.

Reply by MikeC/TX on 8/22/12 6:45pm
Msg #431520

As far as I know, anyone from any state can notarize it - the whole point of venue is that it's where your feet are at the time of the notarization, and there's no requirement that you be in NY when that happens. However, just to hedge your bet, you should TRY to have a NY notary do it for you if possible.

Also - NY does not require a journal, although it is recommended. NY does not require a stamp either, but unless you want to print the five required lines of information on each document you notarize, a stamp is a good idea... The county you qualified in has to appear on your notarization, and that would be the county where you took the test. If you're taking it in Buffalo, that's Erie County.

Reply by bfnotary on 8/22/12 7:08pm
Msg #431525

I went to the website and printed up the New York Notary law and I am in the process of studying it. I saw the part about no stamp required. Lol that is crazy, I will always use a stamp. I did not see the part about no journal required, however I will use one anyways. I like to protect myself.

Ok, so Erie County Ny will be qualifying county. And the county where my address I am using (business), will that be on my notarizations as well? I don't know why I am even asking that, since I have the study materials in front of me here on my desk. I didn't realize how different state laws really were until I decided to do this. Like here in PA we can charge 5 per signature(stamp) and in NY it is only 2 bucks. One requires journal, one doesn't, one requires stamp, while other it is optional. I am going to probably study for 2 weeks before I go for my exam. I want to be sure I know the differences between PA and NY. I don't want any screw ups.

Reply by MikeC/TX on 8/23/12 6:08pm
Msg #431723

"Ok, so Erie County Ny will be qualifying county. And the county where my address I am using (business), will that be on my notarizations as well? "

No, not at all. I moved from NY to TX a year ago, and no longer have my NY stamp or manual, but from what I recall there are five lines required on your stamp/hand-printed notarization:

Your name
The words NOTARY PUBLIC - STATE OF NEW YORK
Your commission number
The county you qualified in
The expiration date of your commission

If you buy your stamp here on NR, they know exactly what to do. That information MUST be in black ink; there are some counties in NY that require your signature to be in black ink for documents that are going to be recorded, but that's probably not going to be an issue based on what you said you will be doing. I made it a habit to always sign with black ink.

By all means, study that manual. The test is not difficult, but they do throw in some trick questions. You have to score 60% to pass, and you're only told pass or fail - they won't tell you your score or what you got wrong.

Reply by Jered Morgan on 8/22/12 4:29pm
Msg #431499

Oath required, Article XIII, Sec 1 of New York constitution -- it's on the notary application, not filed.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 8/22/12 5:06pm
Msg #431506

The Secretary of State files it

"the Secretary of State forwards the commission, the original oath of office and the signature of the notary public to the appropriate county clerk. The county clerk maintains a record of the commission and signature."

See link I provided.

Reply by Jered Morgan on 8/22/12 5:14pm
Msg #431510

Re: The Secretary of State files it

Cool deal, was just commenting that it is required and on the app, did not know SOS forwards it to the county, though that does make sense. See learn something new every day

Reply by bfnotary on 8/22/12 5:26pm
Msg #431513

Re: The Secretary of State files it

TY linda

Reply by MikeC/TX on 8/22/12 6:50pm
Msg #431521

Re: The Secretary of State files it

If I remember correctly, in practice it's the other way around - the oath and signature are filed with the county clerk, and then transmitted to the SOS.

I could be wrong - it's been a long time since I filled out that paperwork, and I have trouble remembering what I had for breakfast yesterday...

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 8/22/12 8:20pm
Msg #431538

What I quoted is from the publication in the link I posted

Revision of June, 2012.