This handbook has been prepared by the office of the Secretary of State for current and prospective notaries public in the state of Colorado. As a notary public, you hold an important position; therefore, it is vital that you understand the notary duties and responsibilities with which you have been charged. The purpose of this handbook is to help familiarize you with Colorado Notary Law so that you can perform your duties correctly. The Handbook is updated to include changes in the law that will be made effective July 1, 2018, due to the adoption of the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA). Notaries public are authorized to perform certain official duties that are critical to those who need them. By acting as an agent of the state by notarizing documents, you help to prevent fraud and forgery. Because the work of notaries public is so important, please make sure you take the time to review this guide carefully.

A notary is a public official responsible for independently verifying signatures and oaths. Depending on how a document is written, a notarization serves to affirm the identity of a signer and the fact that they personally executed their signature. A notarization, or notarial act, officially documents the identity of a party to a document or transaction and the occasion of the signing that others can rely upon, usually at face value. A notary's authentication is intended to be reliable, to avoid the inconvenience of having to locate a signer to have them personally verify their signature, as well as to document the execution of a document perhaps long after the lifetime of the signer and the notary. An oath is a sworn statement. In most cases a person will swear that a written statement, oral statement, or testimony they are about to give is true. A notary can document that the notary administered an oath to an individual.

How to use notary.utah.gov to become a notary: 1. Create an account 2. Create a username and password 3. Enter your email, name, phone number a. Keep in mind the name you use when creating your account will be as it appears on your commission and stamp 4. Confirm email address 5. Add middle name (optional) and date of birth 6. Enter your home address, mailing address (if different than home address), and business name and address. a. The business address will be made public on notary.utah.gov notary search. 7. Enter phone numbers a. "Work Phone" will be made public on notary.utah.gov notary search. If there is no work phone, your home or cell phone will default to public search. 8. Answer Qualification questions a. If any of the "qualifications" listed above are not answered in accordance with UCA Title 46 Chapter 1, you will not be permitted to proceed with online application. 9. Review your application.

The office of notary public has a long and proud history in our society. Their work is rarely glamorous, but it is so important that the highest courts in the nation routinely accept properly notarized documents as evidence in legal matters. In fact, the law governing notaries gives them the same mission as sworn law enforcement officers, "to serve and protect."