An important cornerstone of Notary ethics is accepting all lawful and reasonable requests for notarization, regardless of how the Notary feels about the signer or the document. Article I-A-3 of The Notary Public Code of Professional Responsibility lays out the particulars of this provision.
Notaries should remember not to let their personal feelings dictate whether they accept or refuse notarization requests for documents, even if the subject of the document is controversial.
For example, in Arizona, a legal battle over new state abortion regulations has raised tensions on both sides of this emotionally charged issue as the fight has moved to court.
Several provisions of the new state laws, House Bill 2564 and Senate Bill 1175, including the provision requiring parental consent forms for a minors abortion to be notarized, have been blocked by a court order pending the resolution of lawsuits filed earlier this year.
