Utah Notary Public — All Questions

In a Utah acknowledgment, what does the notary certify?

• a.That the contents of the document are true
• b.That the identified individual appeared, was identified, and acknowledged signing the document✓
• c.That the document is legally enforceable
• d.That the document was filed with a court

An acknowledgment certifies that the signer personally appeared, was identified, and acknowledged executing the document. It says nothing about whether the contents are true or the document is enforceable, which the notary is not authorized to judge.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

What distinguishes a Utah jurat from an acknowledgment?

• a.A jurat needs two witnesses
• b.A jurat is only for real-estate documents
• c.A jurat requires the signer to sign before the notary and take an oath or affirmation as to the truth of the statement✓
• d.A jurat does not require identifying the signer

For a Utah jurat the signer must sign in the notary's presence and swear or affirm that the statement is true. An acknowledgment requires neither an oath nor signing in the notary's presence, though both acts require identifying the signer.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

A Utah notary is handed a document with no notarial wording and asked which certificate to use. What is the proper response?

• a.Ask the signer or the agency requiring the document which act is needed, because choosing it is the unauthorized practice of law✓
• b.Pick a jurat because it is the safest choice
• c.Refuse to help until a lawyer is hired
• d.Notarize it with no certificate at all

A non-attorney notary may not select the notarial act for a signer; that is legal advice. The notary should ask the signer, or the entity that will receive the document, which act is required and then complete that certificate.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

Which notarial act does Utah authorize a notary to perform?

• a.Issuing a marriage license
• b.Certifying a birth certificate copy
• c.Granting a divorce
• d.Certifying a copy of a document the custodian presents, when it is not a publicly recorded or vital record✓

Utah notaries may take acknowledgments, administer oaths and affirmations, perform jurats, witness signatures, and certify copies of records the custodian presents. They may not certify vital records like birth certificates and have no power over marriages or court judgments.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

For a standard (non-remote) Utah notarization, when may the notary complete the act if the signer is not physically present?

• a.If the signer emails a photo of the signed document
• b.Never; personal appearance is required, and remote acts require an approved audio-video platform under Utah's remote notarization rules✓
• c.If a relative confirms the signer's identity by phone
• d.If the signer promises to appear later

Personal appearance is mandatory. Utah authorizes remote online notarization, but only by a specially authorized remote notary using an approved audio-video platform with identity proofing. An ordinary email, phone call, or promise to appear later does not satisfy the appearance requirement.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

What must a completed Utah notarial certificate contain?

• a.The venue, the date of the act, the notary's signature, and the notary's seal✓
• b.The signer's fingerprint and Social Security number
• c.A summary of the document's legal effect
• d.The notary's home address and birth date

A Utah certificate shows the venue (state and county), the date of the act, the notary's signature as commissioned, and the official seal. Utah does not require a thumbprint, and a notary never records a signer's Social Security number or opines on the document's legal effect.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

How may a Utah notary establish the identity of a signer?

• a.Only by a Utah driver's license
• b.Only by two witnesses in every case
• 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 stating their own name aloud

Utah allows identification by the notary's personal knowledge of the signer, or by satisfactory evidence: a current government-issued identification card bearing a photo and signature, or the oath of a credible witness who knows the signer. Simply hearing a name is never enough.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

Which document is acceptable identification for a Utah notarization?

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

Acceptable identification is a current government-issued document with the signer's photograph, signature, and an identifying number, such as a driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID. Loyalty cards, Social Security cards, and utility bills do not qualify.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

A Utah signer lacks ID but brings a credible witness. What must happen before the notary relies on that witness?

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

The credible witness must personally know the signer, be identified to or known by the notary, and take an oath or affirmation vouching for the signer's identity. Only a sworn, qualifying witness may substitute for a missing ID.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

The notary has real doubt about a signer's identity and there is no acceptable ID or credible witness. What is required?

• a.Refuse to perform the notarization✓
• b.Perform it and note the doubt on the certificate
• c.Accept the signer's word that they are honest
• d.Ask the signer to sign a waiver of the ID rule

If identity cannot be confirmed by 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.Utah Notary Handbook (Utah Lieutenant Governor)

Under Utah's 2026 change, what is the journal requirement for notaries?

• a.Journals are banned
• b.Only attorneys must keep journals
• c.New and renewing notaries must keep a journal of their notarial acts✓
• d.Journals are required only for weddings

Effective May 6, 2026 under SB 139, Utah requires new and renewing notaries to maintain a journal of notarial acts. A traditional journal is a permanently bound book with numbered pages; remote online notaries keep an electronic journal of each remote act.Utah SB 139 (effective May 6, 2026); Utah Notary Handbook

What is required of a Utah notary's official seal or stamp?

• a.It must be gold embossed only
• b.Every notary must have a seal that produces a legible, reproducible impression in blue or black ink✓
• c.It must contain the signer's name
• d.It is optional in Utah

Every Utah notary must have a seal of office that leaves a clear, reproducible impression, using blue or black ink, showing the notary's identifying information and commission details. The seal authenticates each act; it never contains the signer's information.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

What should a Utah journal entry generally capture for each act?

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

A useful journal entry records the date and time, the type of act, a brief description of the document, the signer's name and signature, how they were identified, and the fee. It documents the act; it is not a copy of the document and should not hold sensitive financial data.Utah Notary Handbook (Utah Lieutenant Governor)

A Utah notary's seal is lost or stolen. What is the proper step?

• a.Ignore it unless it is misused
• b.Keep using a photocopy of an old impression
• c.Wait until renewal to address it
• d.Take prompt steps to prevent misuse and obtain a replacement, and report the loss as required✓

A lost or stolen seal is a fraud risk, so the notary should act promptly to prevent misuse, report the loss as required, and secure a replacement. Continuing to rely on an old impression is not acceptable.Utah Notary Handbook (Utah Lieutenant Governor)

How long is a Utah notary public commission valid?

• a.2 years
• b.4 years✓
• c.7 years
• d.Lifetime

A Utah notary commission runs for four years. To keep serving, the notary must renew, which for Utah includes passing the exam and, from May 2026, keeping a journal.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

What surety bond must a traditional Utah notary maintain?

• a.$5,000✓
• b.$15,000
• c.$25,000
• d.No bond is required

A traditional Utah notary must maintain a $5,000 surety bond for the four-year term. A remote online notary must carry a $10,000 bond. The bond protects the public from harm caused by the notary's failures; it does not indemnify the notary.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

Which is a qualification to become a Utah notary public?

• a.Be a U.S. citizen and own a home
• b.Hold a law degree
• c.Be at least 18, lawfully in the United States, able to read and write English, and a Utah resident or maintain a primary place of employment in Utah✓
• d.Be a licensed real-estate agent

A Utah applicant must be at least 18, be lawfully in the U.S., be able to read and write English, and either reside in Utah or have a primary place of employment or practice in Utah. Citizenship, home ownership, and professional licenses are not required.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

Which statement about the Utah notary exam is correct?

• a.There is no exam in Utah
• b.It is closed-book and proctored in person
• c.A perfect score is required
• d.It is an open-book online exam of 35 questions worth 65 points, and 61 of 65 points (about 94%) is required to pass✓

Utah's exam is open-book and online, with 35 questions totaling 65 points; the passing threshold is 61 of 65 points, roughly 94%. It applies to new and renewing notaries. Because the pass line is high, the open-book format still demands close study of the handbook.Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office — Notary Exam

What is the maximum fee a Utah notary may charge per notarial act performed in person?

• a.$5
• b.$10✓
• c.$25
• d.$40

Utah caps in-person notarial-act fees at $10 per act (for example, per signature acknowledged or per signature on a jurat). For a remote online notarization the maximum is higher, $25. A notary may always charge less than the cap.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

What is the maximum a Utah remote online notary may charge for a notarial act performed remotely?

• a.$5
• b.$10
• c.$25✓
• d.There is no cap on remote acts

For a remote online notarization Utah allows a maximum of $25 per act, compared with $10 for a standard in-person act. Any additional technology or convenience charges must comply with the rules governing remote notarization.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

When must a Utah notary decline to perform a notarial act?

• a.When the notary has a disqualifying financial or beneficial interest, or the signer is absent, unidentified, or appears coerced✓
• b.Whenever the signer is elderly
• c.Whenever the document is in English
• 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 seems unwilling, confused, or coerced. Impartiality and a competent, willing signer are prerequisites for every act.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook

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

• a.Give a brief legal opinion
• b.Advertise as a 'notario publico'
• c.Refuse to notarize the document at all
• 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; doing so is the unauthorized practice of law. The notary declines to advise and refers the signer to a lawyer, and may not use the misleading title 'notario publico,' but can still perform the notarization itself.Utah Code 46-1 (Notaries Public Reform Act); Utah Notary Handbook