Connecticut Notary Public Rules and Duties

Section 3-94a defines the two ways a notary may know a signer. Personal knowledge means familiarity built through interaction over enough time to remove any reasonable doubt. Otherwise, the notary needs satisfactory evidence of identity, which Connecticut defines more strictly than many states:

The manual warns that Social Security cards and birth certificates are not to be used as identification. When a signer lacks acceptable documents, a credible witness known to the notary can vouch for them under oath, and the manual provides a matching acknowledgment form.

Younger signers often lack ID, so the manual suggests a notary who knows them personally or a credible witness, and reminds notaries that they must be satisfied the minor understands the document. A person who cannot write may sign by mark, usually an X, with two witnesses present in addition to the notary; one witness writes the signer's name near the mark and both sign as witnesses.

An acknowledgment confirms that an identified signer personally appeared and declared the signing to be their free act and deed; the document may be signed beforehand. A jurat requires the signer to swear or affirm to the contents and sign in the notary's presence. The manual supplies acknowledgment forms for individuals, corporations, credible witnesses and signature by mark, plus a jurat and a remote acknowledgment form.

Oaths are given in person with the right hand raised. A person with a conscientious objection may affirm instead, replacing 'swear' with 'solemnly and sincerely affirm and declare' and 'so help you God' with a reference to the penalties of perjury or false statement.

Under section 3-94i you sign only your own name exactly as it appears on your certificate of appointment. No signature stamp may be used, and no one may sign for you. Connecticut does not require a seal. If you use one, section 3-94k says it must show your name as appointed, the words 'Notary Public' and 'Connecticut', and your commission expiration date, which may go on a separate stamp instead. Without a seal or stamp, type or print 'Notary Public' and 'My commission expires' with the date near your signature.

A seal is the notary's property, may not be used by anyone else or surrendered to an employer, and must be destroyed when the notary resigns or the commission lapses or expires. Report a lost or stolen seal to the local police and the Secretary.

Connecticut notaries may certify copies of many documents, but section 3-94a(2) excludes vital records, documents required to be recorded by a state or local official, and federal documents that federal law forbids copying. Section 7-62a reserves certified copies of birth, marriage, death and fetal death records to town clerks, registrars and the Commissioner of Public Health. For documents that qualify, the manual offers long and short certification forms and an alternative in which the custodian swears to the copy's accuracy.

The statutes and manual set out these core rules:

Connecticut law does not require a journal, but the Secretary strongly recommends a bound one showing the date and time, the type of act, a description of the document, each signer's signature, printed name and address, the identification method, any fee and the place of the act.

Under section 3-95 as amended by Public Act 26-81, effective July 1, 2026, the fee for any notarial act may not exceed $10, plus mileage no higher than the IRS business standard rate. The previous cap was $5.

A notary is liable for all damages caused by official misconduct, and an employer who directed or approved the misconduct shares that liability (section 3-94l). The Secretary may issue a written warning and reprimand, or suspend or revoke a commission, after giving the notary a chance to respond (section 3-94m).

Public Act 23-28 added section 3-95b, effective October 1, 2023. The notary must be physically in Connecticut and communicate with the signer in real time by sight and sound. Identity may rest on personal knowledge, one unexpired government ID with photo, name and signature, at least two identity proofing services, or a credible witness. A signer outside Connecticut may use it only for records with a Connecticut connection or not barred by Connecticut law.

The signer mails the signed original to the notary, who completes the certificate by hand; the office does not accept electronically signed documents. The notarization date is the date of the video session, and the certificate should say the signer appeared by means of communication technology. The law does not require a recording, though the manual recommends keeping one for ten years. Remote acts are prohibited for wills and trusts, real estate closing documents, health care directives, standby guardianship papers and powers of attorney, and no notary is obliged to offer them.