AnalysisThe staff analysis of Senate Bill 538 explains the issue the bill seeks to address: “It is not uncommon for a judge to administer oaths at locations other than a courthouse where a personal or court seal is unavailable. Typically, in such circumstances, the judge provides his or her signature and prints his or her name, title, and court on the jurat or certificate of proof or acknowledgment. However, an oath recently authenticated by a District Court of Appeal judge in such a manner was rejected by the Department of State because it did not include the seal of the District Court of Appeal as required by s. 92.50, F.S.” Thus, Senate Bill corrects this issue by simply requiring the judge to perform the notarial act by signing the acknowledgment or jurat without using a seal.
Read Senate Bill 538.