Notary Handbook - the Montana Secretary of State Website

CHAPTER 1 - GENERAL INFORMATION
OVERVIEW
Everybody knows what a notary public does, right?
Actually, there is much misunderstanding and confusion
about what the proper role and duty of a notary is. A
notary public does not “legalize” documents, or verify the
accuracy or truthfulness of statements made in a
document, and yet the role that a notary plays in
ascertaining the identity of the person who signs a
document, placing that person under oath, if required,
and determining the signer’s intent and willingness to
consent to the transaction is vital in modern society.
A notary public is a public official commissioned by the
Secretary of State to administer oaths and affirmations,
witness signatures, and perform other duties as
permitted by state law. A notary has a legal obligation to
know Montana notary laws and to follow the standards of
reasonable care for performing a notarial act.
HANDBOOK
This handbook provides information to familiarize
notaries with their responsibilities in performing notarial
acts. As a public official, a notary is not acting on behalf of
him/herself or his/her employer when performing a
notarial act, but rather, on behalf of the state of
Montana. It is the duty of all notaries to serve the public,
and a notary may not unreasonably refuse to perform a notarial act for any member of the public who pays the statutory fee
and meets all requirements prescribed by statute. It is equally important that notaries take precautions not to exceed the
power of this office.
WEBSITE
The other primary source of information for Montana
notaries are the web pages of the Certification & Notary
Services section of the Secretary of State’s website:
www.sos.mt.gov/Notary. Save this to your favorites so
it’s handy whenever the need arises.
The website contains the most current information for
notaries. You can download any of our current forms,
link directly to the free online notary training course
(which is available to anyone, anytime), or register for
one of our live training classes, among other things. The
website is always available and very user friendly.
We urge you to take a few minutes to familiarize yourself
with the information and format of the handbook and the
website so that you can find the answers to your
questions quickly and easily.
You are also welcome to contact the staff of the Notary
and Certifications Division by phone at (406) 444-5379 or
(406) 444-1877 or email: sosnotary@mt.gov
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