Chapter 5 of 520% of exam
Prohibited Acts, Fees, and Liability
The limits that keep a Utah notary impartial: fee caps for in-person and remote acts, disqualifying conflicts, the ban on the unauthorized practice of law, and the consequences of misconduct.
Maximum fees
Utah caps fees, with a higher ceiling for remote acts.
In-person notarial acts are capped at $10 per act.
Remote online notarial acts are capped at $25 per act.
A notary may charge less than the cap or waive the fee.
Record any fee charged in the journal.
Conflicts and prohibited acts
Impartiality and a willing, identified signer are non-negotiable.
A notary may not act with a disqualifying financial or beneficial interest in the transaction.
A notary may never notarize their own signature.
A notary must refuse when the signer is absent, unidentified, unwilling, or coerced.
Unauthorized practice of law
A non-attorney notary must not cross into legal advice.
Do not give legal advice or interpret a document's meaning or effect.
Do not choose the notarial certificate for the signer.
Do not advertise as a 'notario publico,' which falsely implies legal authority.
Liability and discipline
Misconduct has real consequences the bond does not erase.
Knowingly making a false certificate can bring civil liability and criminal charges.
The Lieutenant Governor's Office may investigate and revoke a commission for misconduct.
The bond compensates the public; the notary remains personally responsible.