Can U.S. Notaries Receive A Lifetime Commission?

I have received a document that was notarized, and the Notary stamp reads "My Commission expires at my death" Is this at all possible? — K.G., Texas

This is possible if the document was notarized by a Louisiana Notary. The term of commission in Louisiana is for the Notary’s lifetime, so the Notary’s seal could have as the expiration date the time of the Notary’s death (Louisiana Administrative Code 46:XLVI.111[b]).

Hotline answers are based on the laws in the state where the question originated and may not reflect the laws of other states. If in doubt, always refer to your own state statutes. – The Editors

Confronted with a tricky notarization? Unsure how to proceed? NNA members have unlimited access to our expertly trained NNA Hotline counselors to help you with all of your notarial questions. Call 1-888-876-0827, Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PST; Saturday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.

Additional Resources:

How To Become A Notary Public

How To Renew As A Notary

9 Comments

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Maria E Figueredo

17 Apr 2017

Need to know where do I send a document that has been notarized to be Certified by Clerk of Court and is it in the County where it was notarized.

National Notary Association

Hello. Because certification by a county clerk is not a notarial act, you would need to contact either the agency that issued the document for instructions, or your local county clerk's office to ask if they can perform the service you are requesting.

Melanie Johnson

14 Jun 2017

I have customers that immediately ask me to take time for them to understand what they are reading. My signing agency says to close them in 45 minutes. Which one comes first.

Gil Sery

Melanie, the signer's loan officer should have gone over all the documents with the signer ahead of time (i.e. before your appointment), so they should already understand what they're reading by the time you get to them. You should try to close them as quickly as possible (while still doing a thorough job), but if they're a "reader", there is not much you can do unfortunately.

Damon Cade

15 Jun 2017

Can I have journal entries, in one journal, for multiple years?

16 Jun 2017

Hello. Normally this is acceptable. What state are you located in?

Elizacooper

19 Apr 2018

Insurance co. Took it, that wrong, paid into it, short, and long term!!

Angela

30 Jan 2020

Does a notary under 10 U.S.C. 1044 has an expiration date? What does it mean when the expiration date is entered as "Indefinite"?

Based on what you’ve described, we think it would be best if you contacted our Hotline team by phone and provided them with a more detailed description of the situation. The NNA Hotline: 1-888-876-0827 Mon – Fri: 5:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (PT) Saturday: 5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (PT) If you’re not an NNA Member or Hotline Subscriber, they will provide you with a one-time courtesy call.

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