LA House Bill 1213

Legislation

State: Louisiana
Signed: June 30, 2006

Effective: August 15, 2006
Chapter: Act No. 793

Summary

Authorizes certain Notaries to obtain statewide jurisdiction.

Affects

Amends Section 35:131 191 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes.

Changes

In effect, gives every Notary in Louisiana, both attorneys and nonattorneys, the opportunity to hold statewide jurisdiction. Formerly, only attorney-Notaries had statewide jurisdiction.
Grants any nonattorney-Notary validly appointed in any parish statewide jurisdiction in performing notarial acts if the Notary successfully passes the required Notary examination on or after June 13, 2005.
To qualify for the expanded jurisdictional limits by taking the exam, the Notary must register directly with the Secretary of State and pay the examination fee within 45 days before the date of the exam. Failure to pass the exam will not affect the parish-wide status of the Notary’s commission.

Analysis

Previously, only Louisiana Notaries who were also attorneys had statewide jurisdiction; nonattorney-Notaries were granted parishwide jurisdiction. While reciprocity agreements allowed Notaries in several parishes to notarize in certain other parishes, House Bill 1213 effectively permits any validly appointed nonattorney-Notary to notarize in any parish in the state upon passing the Notary examination on or after June 13, 2005. Validly appointed Notaries need not take the exam, which is given twice a year, but their commissions would then only have parishwide authority. Notaries in Louisiana hold lifetime commissions and need only take and pass the exam once. See New Law Alert 18-06 regarding the Louisiana Secretary of State’s new duty to administer the Notary exam statewide; formerly, the exam was created and administered separately in each parish.

Read House Bill 1213.