NOTARY: Rules of the job

Referencing a letter to the editor by Rick Casemore in the August 22nd issue of the Press, there is some misconception of the duties and responsibilities of a Notary Public.

As a notary public commissioned by the State since 1990, I take exception to Mr. Casemore’s questioning the honesty of the notary of Shasta Groene’s document. From my copy of the Idaho Notary Public Handbook, “A notary public does not ‘legalize’ documents, or verify the accuracy or truthfulness of the content or statements made in a document... A notary acts as an official, unbiased witness to the identity, the comprehension, the intent, and the signature of the person who comes before the notary for a specific purpose.”

This sentiment applies to every notary in every state, even across the world. As a public official, a notary feels the heavy weight of their duties and is careful to apply the rules of their specific state to their notarizations. For more information for requirements in your state, google “Secretary of State-Notary Public.”

JENIFER LYDA

Hayden