Notary Public Misconduct Complaints
In Florida, notaries are public officers appointed by the Governor at his discretion. Under the Florida Constitution and Florida Statutes, it falls within the jurisdiction of the Governor’s Office to review complaints of misconduct against notaries and to take disciplinary action when deemed appropriate.
Notary Public Commission Applications
The Governor may appoint as many notaries public as he or she deems necessary, each of whom shall be at least 18 years of age and a legal resident of the state. A permanent resident alien may apply and be appointed and shall file with his or her application a recorded Declaration of Domicile. The residence required for appointment must be maintained throughout the term of appointment. Notaries public shall be appointed for 4 years and shall use and exercise the office of notary public within the boundaries of this state. An applicant must be able to read, write, and understand the English language.
Notary Public Resignations
A notary public who wishes to resign his or her commission, or a notary public who does not maintain legal residence in this state during the entire term of appointment, or a notary public whose resignation is required by the Governor, shall send a signed letter of resignation to the Governor and shall return his or her certificate of notary public commission. The resigning notary public shall destroy his or her official notary public seal of office, unless the Governor requests its return.
About Us: Two State Notary Sections at Your Service
Florida notaries public are served by two offices – the Notary Section of the Executive Office of the Governor, and the Notary Commissions and Certificates Section within the Department of State. Both offices are involved with the appointment of notaries public, but each performs distinct functions.
The Notary Section of the Executive Office of the Governor is housed within the Office of the General Counsel because Florida notaries are public officers appointed and commissioned by the Governor. The Office of the General Counsel oversees investigations by the Notary Section based upon complaints of notary misconduct reported by the public, and recommends disciplinary action to be taken when appropriate.
The primary function of the Notary Section of the Executive Office of the Governor is to provide educational materials and assistance to Florida notaries public. Our dedicated staff responds to telephone and email inquiries from notaries and members of the public, and we welcome you to contact us if you have any notary-related questions. The Notary Section also assists the Governor by evaluating “special review” applications related to an applicant’s eligibility for appointment.
The Notary Commissions and Certifications Section of the Department of State, on the other hand, has a strictly ministerial function in receiving and processing applications, and responding to requests for commissions and certificates. The Notary Commissions and Certifications Section also maintains the online Notary Education Course, which is an online educational tool offered free-of-charge, and preserves records of actively commissioned Florida notaries public in its computer database, called Notary Search. You may access the Notary Search database by clicking on this link to search for information on commissioned notaries public in the State of Florida.
Now that you know what these offices can do for you, please feel free to explore this website of the Notary Section of the Executive Office of the Governor!
Introduction
Contact the Executive Office of the Governor’s Notary Section:
- To learn how to obtain educational materials.
- To file a complaint against a notary public.
- To respond to a complaint filed against you for notary misconduct.
- To resign your notary public commission.
Executive Office of the Governor
Notary Section
P.O. Box 6327
Tallahassee, FL 32314
or
Courier Address
2415 North Monroe Street, Suite 810
Tallahassee, FL 32303
(850) 717-9310
- Also, be sure to check out the Notary Section of the Executive Office of the Governor on the Governor’s website for answers to your Florida notary public questions:
https://www.flgov.com/governors-notary-section
Contact the Department of State’s Notary Commissions and Certifications Section:
- To report a change in your home address, business address, telephone number, or criminal record.
- To obtain information about a particular notary public or a notary public’s surety bond.
- To obtain a list of the bonding agencies approved to process notary public commission applications.
- To report your notary public seal as lost or stolen.
- To request authentication of a notary public’s commission for a document being sent to another state or a foreign country (i.e. a Certificate of Notarial Authority or an Apostille).
Department of State
Notary Commissions and Certifications Section
P.O. Box 6327
Tallahassee, FL 32314
Department of State
Apostille Certification
P.O. Box 6800
Tallahassee, FL 32314
Department of State
Division of Corporations
Notary Commissions or Apostille Certification
2415 North Monroe Street, Suite 810
Tallahassee, FL 32303
(Walk-in Service and Courier Delivery)
(850) 245-6975
(Notary Commissions and Certifications)
(850) 245-6945
(Apostille)
- Another website that may interest you is that of the Department of State’s Notary Commissions and Certifications Section, where you can search for Florida notaries public, access the Notary Education Program, obtain a list of notary public bonding agencies, learn about Apostille certification, and more:
http://notaries.dos.state.fl.us
Contact your Bonding Agency:
- To obtain and submit an application for appointment as a notary public.
- To check the status of your pending notary public commission application.
- To amend your notary public commission after a lawful name change.
- To receive information about your notary public surety bond, or optional errors and omissions insurance.
- To purchase a notary public seal.
- To request a duplicate copy of your notary public commission certificate.
Contact Information