Oregon Notary Public — All Questions

What does an Oregon notary certify when taking an acknowledgment?

• a.That the statements in the document are true
• b.That the identified individual appeared and acknowledged signing the record voluntarily✓
• c.That the notary approves the document's terms
• d.That the document is recorded

An acknowledgment certifies that the signer personally appeared, was identified, and acknowledged executing the record for its stated purpose. It does not certify the truth of the contents (that is a jurat) or approve the document's terms.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

What does an Oregon jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) require that an acknowledgment does not?

• a.The document must be notarized twice
• b.The document must be about real estate
• c.The signer must sign in the notary's presence and take an oath or affirmation as to the truth of the statement✓
• d.The signer must be an Oregon resident

A jurat requires the signer to sign in front of the notary and to swear or affirm that the statement is true. An acknowledgment requires neither an oath nor signing in the notary's presence.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

A signer asks an Oregon notary which notarial certificate the document needs. What should the notary do?

• a.Ask the signer or the receiving agency which act is required, because choosing it is the unauthorized practice of law✓
• b.Choose a jurat because it is more formal
• c.Refuse to serve the signer
• d.Notarize with no certificate

A non-attorney notary may not decide which notarial act a document needs; that is legal advice. The notary asks the signer, or the agency requiring the document, which act is needed and completes only that certificate.Oregon Notary Public Guide (Oregon Secretary of State)

Which act may an Oregon notary perform?

• a.Certify a copy of a birth certificate
• b.Issue an apostille
• c.Record a deed in county records
• d.Certify a copy of a record the custodian presents that is not a vital or publicly recorded record✓

Oregon notaries take acknowledgments, administer oaths and affirmations, perform jurats, witness signatures, and certify copies of records the custodian presents. They may not certify vital records, issue apostilles (a Secretary of State function), or record documents.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

For a standard Oregon notarization, when may the notary act without the signer physically present?

• a.When the signer mails the signed document
• b.Never; personal appearance is required, and remote acts require an approved audio-video platform under Oregon's remote notarization rules✓
• c.When a family member vouches by phone
• d.When the signer is well known in the community

Personal appearance is required for every notarization. Oregon authorizes remote notarization only through an approved audio-video platform with identity verification. Mailing a document, a phone vouch, or community reputation does not satisfy the appearance requirement.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

What must a complete Oregon notarial certificate include?

• a.The venue, the date of the act, the notary's signature, and the official stamp✓
• b.The signer's thumbprint
• c.The notary's date of birth
• d.A legal opinion about the document

An Oregon certificate shows the venue (state and county), the date of the act, the notary's signature as commissioned, and the official stamp. Oregon does not require a thumbprint, and the notary never includes a legal opinion.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

How may an Oregon notary establish a signer's identity?

• a.Only by an Oregon driver's license
• b.Only by two witnesses in all cases
• c.By personal knowledge of the signer, or by satisfactory evidence such as a current government photo ID or a credible witness✓
• d.By the signer's spoken name

Under RULONA, Oregon allows identification by the notary's personal knowledge of the signer, or by satisfactory evidence: a current government-issued photo ID bearing a signature, or the oath of a credible witness who knows the signer.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

Which is acceptable identification for an Oregon notarization?

• a.A store rewards card
• b.A current U.S. passport✓
• c.A Social Security card
• d.A utility bill

Acceptable ID is a current government-issued document with the signer's photo, signature, and an identifying number, such as a passport, driver's license, state ID, or military ID. Rewards cards, Social Security cards, and utility bills do not qualify.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

An Oregon signer lacks ID but brings a credible witness. What is required before relying on the witness?

• a.The witness signs the document
• b.Nothing; the witness is automatically enough
• c.The witness's ID is copied onto the certificate
• d.The witness must personally know the signer, be identified to the notary, and take an oath vouching for the signer's identity✓

A credible witness must personally know the signer, be personally known to or identified by the notary, and take an oath or affirmation as to the signer's identity. Only a sworn, qualifying witness may substitute for missing identification.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

If an Oregon notary cannot confirm a signer's identity by any allowed method, what must the notary do?

• a.Refuse to perform the notarization✓
• b.Perform it and note the doubt
• c.Accept an ID that expired long ago
• d.Rely on the signer's spoken name

When identity cannot be established through personal knowledge, an acceptable ID, or a credible witness, the notary must refuse. Notarizing despite genuine doubt about identity defeats the fraud-prevention purpose of the office.Oregon Notary Public Guide (Oregon Secretary of State)

What is Oregon's rule on keeping a notary journal?

• a.A journal is optional
• b.Only remote acts must be recorded
• c.The notary must keep one or more journals chronicling all notarial acts and retain the journal for 10 years after the last act recorded in it✓
• d.The journal must be given to the signer

Oregon requires a notary to maintain a journal chronicling all notarial acts, in a tangible or electronic format, and to retain the journal for 10 years after the last act recorded in it. The journal is a key protection if an act is later challenged.ORS 194.300 (journal); Oregon Notary Public Guide

Which elements must appear on an Oregon notary's official stamp?

• a.The signer's name and county
• b.The notary's name, the words 'Notary Public' and 'Oregon,' the commission number, and the commission expiration date✓
• c.The notary's home address
• d.The Oregon State Seal in gold

An Oregon stamp shows the notary's name, the words 'Notary Public' and 'Oregon,' the commission number, and the commission expiration date. It authenticates the notary's acts and never contains the signer's information.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

What should each Oregon journal entry capture?

• a.The date and time, type of act, description of the document, the signer's name and signature, the identification method, and any fee✓
• b.The signer's bank balance
• c.The notary's personal opinions
• d.A photocopy of the whole document

An Oregon journal entry records the date and time, the type of act, a description of the document, the signer's name and signature, how the signer was identified, and any fee. It documents the act; it is not a copy of the document.ORS 194.300 (journal); Oregon Notary Public Guide

An Oregon notary's stamp or journal is lost or stolen. What should the notary do?

• a.Do nothing unless it is misused
• b.Keep using a scanned copy of the stamp
• c.Wait until the commission expires
• d.Take prompt steps to prevent misuse, notify the Secretary of State as required, and obtain a replacement✓

Because a stolen stamp or journal can facilitate fraud, the notary should promptly act to prevent misuse, notify the Secretary of State as required, and obtain a replacement. Relying on a scanned copy of the old stamp is not acceptable.Oregon Notary Public Guide (Oregon Secretary of State)

How long is an Oregon notary public commission valid?

• a.2 years
• b.4 years✓
• c.6 years
• d.8 years

An Oregon notary commission is valid for four years. To keep serving, the notary must reapply, complete the required training, and pass the exam again before the term ends.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

What must an Oregon applicant complete before taking the notary exam?

• a.A four-year college degree
• b.A criminal-defense course
• c.A mandatory 'Notary Public Basics' training course✓
• d.An apprenticeship under another notary

Oregon requires applicants to complete a mandatory 'Notary Public Basics' training course before taking the exam. The training covers Oregon's notarial law and prepares the applicant for the graded exam.Oregon Secretary of State — Notary Public Qualifications

Which is a qualification to become an Oregon notary public?

• a.Be at least 18, able to read and write English, and an Oregon resident or have a place of employment or practice in Oregon✓
• b.Be a U.S. citizen who owns property in Oregon
• c.Hold a law license
• d.Be at least 21 years old

An Oregon applicant must be at least 18, be able to read and write English, and either reside in Oregon or maintain a place of employment or practice in the state. Citizenship, property ownership, and a law license are not required.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

Which statement about the Oregon notary exam is most accurate?

• a.There is no exam in Oregon
• b.It is a closed-book, in-person, proctored test with a fixed 45 questions
• c.A perfect score is required
• d.It follows mandatory training, is taken online, and requires a passing score of about 80%, though the exact question count is not consistently published✓

Oregon's exam follows the mandatory Notary Public Basics training and is taken online, with a passing score of about 80% reported. Sources disagree on the exact number of questions, so a study program should not assert a fixed count without confirming it against the current Secretary of State system.Oregon Secretary of State — Notary Exam

What is the maximum fee an Oregon notary may charge for a notarial act?

• a.$2
• b.$10✓
• c.$25
• d.There is no limit

Oregon caps a notarial act at $10 (with limited exceptions). A notary may charge less or nothing, but never more than the statutory maximum. Remote and travel arrangements are governed by additional rules.ORS 194.400 (fees); Oregon Notary Public Guide

When must an Oregon notary refuse to perform a notarial act?

• a.When the notary has a disqualifying interest, or the signer is absent, unidentified, unwilling, or appears coerced✓
• b.Whenever the document is handwritten
• c.Whenever the signer is elderly
• d.Whenever the fee is waived

A notary must refuse when they have a disqualifying interest in the transaction, when the signer does not personally appear, when identity cannot be confirmed, or when the signer appears unwilling, confused, or coerced. Impartiality and a competent, willing signer are required.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

May an Oregon notary notarize a document in which the notary has a direct financial interest?

• a.Yes, if the interest is small
• b.Yes, for a spouse's business
• c.No; a notary may not act with a disqualifying financial or beneficial interest beyond the notarial fee✓
• d.Yes, if the notary discloses it verbally

A notary must be impartial and may not notarize a transaction in which they hold a financial or beneficial interest beyond the notarial fee. Disclosure does not cure the conflict; the notary must decline and refer the signer to another notary.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

A non-attorney Oregon notary is asked to explain what a document legally means. What should the notary do?

• a.Give a brief legal opinion
• b.Advertise as a 'notario publico'
• c.Refuse to notarize anything
• d.Decline to give legal advice and refer the signer to an attorney, while still able to perform the notarization✓

A non-attorney notary may not give legal advice or interpret a document's meaning; that is the unauthorized practice of law. The notary declines to advise, refers the signer to a lawyer, and must not use the misleading title 'notario publico,' but may still perform the notarization itself.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide