Current through 2024 First Special Session
Section 39-4-21 - Grounds to deny, refuse to renew, revoke, suspend, or condition commission of notary public(a) The Secretary of State may deny, refuse to renew, revoke, suspend or impose a condition on a commission as notary public for any act or omission that demonstrates the individual lacks the honesty, integrity, competence, or reliability to act as a notary public, including: (1) Failure to comply with this article;(2) A fraudulent, dishonest or deceitful misstatement or omission in the application for a commission as a notary public submitted to the Secretary of State;(3) A conviction of the applicant or notary public of any felony or a crime involving fraud, dishonesty or deceit;(4) A finding against, or admission of liability by, the applicant or notary public in any legal proceeding or disciplinary action based on the applicant's or notary public's fraud, dishonesty or deceit;(5) Failure by the notary public to discharge any duty required of a notary public, whether by this article, rules promulgated by the Secretary of State, or any federal or state law;(6) Use of false or misleading advertising or representation by the notary public representing that the notary has a duty, right or privilege that the notary does not have;(7) Violation by the notary public of a rule of the Secretary of State regarding a notary public;(8) Denial, refusal to renew, revocation, suspension or conditioning of a notary public commission in another state;(9) Failure of the notary public to maintain an assurance as provided in subsection (d), section twenty of this article; (10) Charging more than the maximum fees specified in section thirty of this article; and(11) Failure to notify the Secretary of State of an address or name change pursuant to subsection (b), section twenty-two of this article.(b) If the Secretary of State denies, refuses to renew, revokes, suspends or imposes conditions on a commission as a notary public, the applicant or notary public is entitled to timely notice and hearing in accordance with article five, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code.(c) The authority of the Secretary of State to deny, refuse to renew, suspend, revoke or impose conditions on a commission as a notary public does not prevent a person from seeking and obtaining other criminal or civil remedies provided by law.Added by 2014 Acts, ch. 133 (HB 4012), eff. 7/1/2014.