"I'm shaking my head. In California, we must complete a 6-hour class and undergo and pass an exam in order to be commissioned. How are these people passing? Do they forget everything once they leave that exam room? I know a notarization does not validate a document. But, does an illegal notarization invalidate it?"
1. Unfortunately, some notaries do not take their job seriously. For California notaries, there is a "$750 fine for negligently failing to discharge fully and faithfully any of the duties or responsibilities required of a notary public" or a "$1500 fine for willfully failing to discharge fully and faithfully any of the duties or responsibilities required of a notary public."
I encounter similar sloppy notary work.
2. In this case, the purpose of the Letter is authorizing their under age child to travel with another adult/adults. The airline or inbound country check point (I am forgetting the technical term), can ask to see the letter to confirm the child is authorized to travel with the adult/adults into the country and out of the country. Technically, if they know a California notary certificate is required and was not used, they could consider it invalid.
If it was a deed or other document that records with a county in California or needs to be authenticated or apostilled with the Secretary of State, the document(s) would be rejected and considered invalid. |