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Can Notaries Give An Oath Of Office To Their Children?

New Hotline Resized 3My son recently passed the California State Bar. Can I perform his oath of office? N.U., California

 Yes. A California Notary may perform a notarization for a family member as long as the Notary is not taking the Notary’s acknowledgment or affidavit and does not have a direct financial or beneficial interest in from the transaction (Gov’t Code 8224 and 8224.1). 

Hotline answers are based on the laws in the state where the question originated and may not reflect the laws of other states.If in doubt, always refer to your own state statutes. – The Editors

Confronted with a tricky notarization? Unsure how to proceed? NNA members have unlimited access to our expertly trained NNA Hotline counselors to help you with all of your notarial questions. Call 1-888-876-0827, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. PST; Saturday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST

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Jerry Lucas

24 Jun 2019

The most famous case was in 1923, when John Calvin Coolidge, Sr., a Vermont notary, administered the Presidential oath of office at 3 AM to his Vice President son, Calvin Coolidge, at the family homestead in Vermont, following the death of President Warren G. Harding. Due to presidential tradition, the uncertainty of federal vs state jurisdiction, and a potential conflict of interest in notarizing for a family member, the oath was re-administered the next day by Justice Hoehling of the Supreme Court of D.C. when Coolidge arrived in Washington.

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