Editor's Note: Click to view William A. Anderson's presentation on best Notary practices. Video PDF

While every state’s Notary laws include some best practices, they can’t anticipate every circumstance that a Notary may face, which is exactly what necessitates a notarial “standard of care” that goes beyond state requirements.

That was the message of the National Notary Association’s Vice President of Best Practices, William A. Anderson, who discussed “Best Notary Practices” before 2,000 Alabama Notaries as they convened for the state’s first ever Notary Conference in October, organized by Secretary of State Beth Chapman.

During his remarks before the rapt crowd, Anderson pointed to a recent Illinois Appellate Court ruling that Notaries must follow a set of best practices that is higher than the minimum standard set forth in the law. He encouraged the Notaries to rely on the professional practices and ethical standards in the widely accepted Notary Public Code of Professional Responsibility to guide their actions.

The half-day event was organized to help Alabama’s Notaries understand their role in preventing fraud and ensuring that signatures are genuine, according to Secretary Chapman’s office. In planning the event the Secretary called upon the National Notary Association and state experts to share their knowledge and insights with attendees. Judge Jean Brown, Chief Legal Advisor to the Alabama Secretary of State, also discussed Alabama’s Notary laws.