SECTION 1 - The Office Of Notary Public

Notaries public are appointed and commissioned in such number as deemed necessary for public convenience by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, whose jurisdiction shall be co-extensive with the boundaries of the Commonwealth, irrespective of their place of residence within the Commonwealth.

A notary public is an appointed and commissioned public officer whose function is to perform notarial acts as an impartial witness. Notarial duties authorized by law include administering oaths or affirmations; certifying copies and taking depositions, verifications, acknowledgments; witnessing or attesting a signature; noting a protest of a negotiable instrument, and performing other duties specified by law. Notaries public are authorized to notarize documents in any county in Pennsylvania and are also authorized to issue protests.

A notary public is considered a public servant and, as such, is held personally liable for any fraud or negligence in the performance of the duties of the office.

A notary public is not licensed to practice law and may not, under any circumstances, give legal advice unless the notary public is an attorney.

Pennsylvania notaries are governed by 57 Pa.C.S. §§ 301–331, known as the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA), as well as regulations issued by the Pennsylvania Department of State.

New regulations will take effect on March 28, 2026. These regulations will be codified at 4 Pa. Code Part VII, Subpart C.

Notaries are responsible for understanding and complying with all applicable laws and regulations. Because laws and administrative rules may change, each notary must remain informed of current requirements.

The Department of State provides access to both the law and regulations on its Laws and Regulations page:

Pennsylvania RULONA Regulations

The Department of State may impose administrative penalties of up to $1,000 per violation of RULONA or its associated regulations.

A notary public must use every reasonable precaution expected of a person of ordinary prudence and intelligence to exercise reasonable care when performing notarial acts. Every signer must personally appear before the notary and be carefully identified. Proper notarization requires the following attention to detail:

Verify the signer’s signature;
Visually scan the document for blank spaces or incompleteness;
Verify the document’s date, including signature dates;
Record notarial acts in your journal before completing the notarization;
Verify the correct notarial wording;
Affix your signature and seal properly and legibly; and
NEVER GIVE ADVICE.

Throughout this course, we will elaborate on each key item above.

Keep in mind that all states vary in their rules and regulations regarding notaries public and their respective duties. You should be familiar with Pennsylvania requirements for your own protection and for the protection of those you will serve as a Pennsylvania notary public.