Whom should I inform when I decide to resign?
When you choose to resign, you should inform the commissioning agency in your state, usually the Secretary of State. The notification should be in writing and sent via certified, return receipt, U.S. mail. Some states may allow or require the resignation to be submitted through an online portal established for managing Notary commissions.
In California, Notaries Public must inform the Secretary of State in writing of their intention to resign.
In Florida, a Notary Public wishing to resign must send a signed letter of resignation to the Governor and include their certificate of commission. If they do not have the certificate, the Notary must state in the letter that they do not possess the certificate of commission.
What should I do with my Notary seal?
Most states, such as Illinois, require you to make your Notary seal inoperable. For a rubber-stamp seal, a pen knife or another small-bladed knife can be used to cut up the rubberized part of the seal, causing the stamp's impression to be distorted.
For seal embossers, simply put a few drops of instant super glue on the molded part and close it. Due to the glue, it will remain shut, and even if it's pried open, the molded part will be distorted, and no clear embossment can be created.
Some states, like North Carolina, mandate that Notary seals be returned directly to the Secretary of State for destruction.
What should I do with my Notary journals?
Requirements differ from state to state.
In Arizona, Notaries must deliver their seals and any journals containing public records to the Secretary of State within three months.
California and Texas require a Notary Public to deposit their journals with the county clerk's office where the Notary's oath and bond are on file.
Illinois Notaries must keep their journals for five years after the end of the Notary's commission.
Montana Notaries who resign their commissions must retain the journals for 10 years after the last entry or opt to leave them with an approved repository. The Secretary of State has a form that must be signed by the Notary and the proposed custodian and approved by the Secretary of State before the journals can be transferred to another repository.
In Pennsylvania, resigning Notaries deliver their journals to the office of the recorder of deeds in the county where the Notary last had an office within 30 days of the commission resignation date.
Be aware of your state's requirements
Some state laws do not specify what to do with your Notary supplies upon resignation. In such cases, the recommended best practice is to inform your Notary commissioning authority in writing or adhere to the practice standards of The Notary Public Code of Professional Responsibility for disposing of your seal and retaining your journal. The Code instructs Notaries to destroy all Nota
ry seals and store all Notary journals for at least 10 years from the last entry in a journal.
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