In 2013, Oregon enacted sweeping changes to its notary laws. This article provides an overview of those changes, including the addition of enotarization.

1. Working with Mobile Notaries
Posted on 10/21/2013 by beverlym
For lawyers who may need the services of a mobile or ad-hoc notary, here are
some best practice recommendations:
Verifying the Validity of a Notarial Commission
Call the Corporation Division of the Oregon Secretary of State or visit the
Secretary of State Web site to verify that your proposed mobile notary has a
valid, current notarial commission. The Corporation Division can be reached
at 503.986.2200, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Notaries registered with the Corporation Division prior to September 1, 2013
may not have complete online listings because notaries at that time did not
agree to a public record address. The Corporation Division advises:
When you search on our database by name to verify a notary and there is no
address available, you can check the stamp information on the document. The
commission number, expiration date, and name should match with a record
you see on the database.
Alternatively, addresses are maintained on an internal database, so calling
the Corporation Division is another method to verify a valid commission.
Complying with Current Laws
Ask your mobile notary if he or she is aware of the new notary law effective
September 1, 2013. Sweeping in scope, this law affects nearly every aspect
of functioning as a notary in Oregon – from qualification, examination, and
application – to minute details of notarization, including:
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Acceptable forms of identification
Notarizing documents for relatives
Qualifying as a “credible witness”
Maintaining notarial journals
Use of an Official Notary Stamp (in lieu of the former notary seal)
Procedures for electronic notarizations

2. This document summarizes the changes from the old law to the new law. The
new notary rules may be found here.
If you want to learn more about the new notary law, consider attending a live,
free notary public education seminar or take the Web Tutorial (part of the
online examination process).
Concerned about your notary’s potential ignorance of the new law? Select a
different notary or ask the notary to sign an acknowledgment that he or she is
aware of and in compliance with the new law and rules.
Protecting Journal Records
Keeping a proper notarial journal is a long-standing requirement. The new
law modified this process. Notaries are now permitted to keep a paper
journal, an electronic journal, or both. Ask your mobile notary which journal
method(s) he or she uses. If the notary uses an electronic notarial journal, the
signature of the signer must be:
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Unique to the signer
Capable of independent verification
Retained under the signer’s sole control
Attached to or logically associated with the electronic journal
Linked to the data in such a manner that any subsequent alterations to
the electronic notarial journal entry are detectable and may invalidate the
electronic notarial journal entry
Using Bonded or Insured Notaries
Oregon does not require notaries to be bonded or carry liability insurance. If
this is a concern for you, you may wish to use only notaries who are bonded
or who carry appropriate coverage.
All Rights Reserved – Beverly Michaelis – 2013
Originally posted at http://oregonlawpracticemanagement.com/2013/10/21/working-withmobile-notaries/on October 21, 2013.