Florida Notary Public Ethics

Revised 9/4/24

As a notary public, you hold a position of trust and responsibility. Upholding the highest ethical standards is not just a requirement—it's essential to maintaining the integrity of your role.

Revised 9/4/24

As a commissioned notary public for your state, it is your duty to serve as a disinterested witness to a transaction. Client confidentiality is crucial, as you may be privy to very personal and private matters. The subject matter of documents and other related information should be kept confidential.

Being a public official also requires you to avoid discrimination among customers. This means not discriminating based on race, gender, religion, age, citizenship, physical disabilities, or other characteristics, and treating all customers equally.

Discrimination and refusal to notarize are entirely different scenarios. Discrimination involves disliking something about an individual, whereas refusal to notarize occurs when a particular circumstance prevents the notarization from proceeding.

Refusal to perform a notarization should be handled with care to ensure it cannot be misconstrued as discrimination. For example (and these are just a few scenarios), if the document is blank or incomplete, the signer does not speak English and there is no way to communicate, or the signer does not have proper identification, then the notarization cannot proceed. The notary should carefully explain that state law prohibits notarizing in such situations.

Advertising is a good way to grow your business and provide a valuable public service. However, most states have specific restrictions on advertising. Never translate the words "Notary Public" from English into any other language. Never suggest you are an attorney, give legal advice, or charge fees for legal services. False or misleading advertising, or violating these restrictions, could lead to the loss of your notary commission or other sanctions.

Be sure to follow your state’s notary laws and rules to avoid any ethical violations related to your notary commission.

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