I am planning on resigning at the end of my current term as a Notary. I'm looking for your help with the forms to fill out as required by the state of California; both the notice of intention to retire and the final resignation with surrendered log and destroyed stamps. Could you help me? — C. F., California
Certainly. When your Notary Public commission expires, you are not required to submit a resignation letter to the Secretary of State. Government Code 8209 states that if you do not renew your expired commission within 30 days, within 30 days of the that date (effectively 60 days from the date your commission expires), you must return your journals to the county clerk’s office where your oath and bond are filed. Do not neglect to do this. Some counties, such as Los Angeles, require you to set an appointment to deliver your journals. Go to the registrar-recorder/county clerk’s website for specific instructions. Additionally, Government Code 8207 requires you to deface your seal and properly dispose of it. That’s all you need to do.
If, by chance, you decide to resign your Notary commission before the expiration date, you must complete the resignation letter form and send it via certified mail to the Secretary of State. After the effective resignation date, you have 30 days to submit your journals to the county clerk's office where your oath and bond are filed. Additionally, you must deface your seal and dispose of it properly.
If you are looking for resignation guidelines for Notaries in other states, please see our article on what you should do if you have to resign your Notary commission for more information.
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
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