Requests to take depositions or designations to execute commissions to take depositions. Any United States notarizing officer may be requested to take a deposition on notice, or designated to execute a commission to take depositions. A commission or notice should, if possible, identify the officer who is to take depositions by his official title only in the following manner: “Any notarizing officer of the United States of America at (name of locality)”. The notarizing officer responsible for the performance of notarial acts at a post should act on a request to take a deposition on notice, or should execute the commission, when the documents are drawn in this manner, provided local law does not preclude such action. However, when the officer (or officers) is designated by name as well as by title, only the officer (or officers) so designated may take the depositions. In either instance, the officer must be a disinterested party. Rule 28(c) of the Rules of Civil Procedure for the district courts of the United States prohibits the taking of a deposition before a person who is a relative, employee, attorney or counsel of any of the parties, or who is a relative or employee of such attorney or counsel, or who is financially interested in the action.

Authority in Federal law. The authority for the taking of depositions, charging the appropriate fees, and imposing the penalty for giving false evidence is generally set forth in 22 U.S.C. 4215 and 4221. The taking of depositions for federal courts of the United States is further governed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. For the provisions of law which govern particularly the taking of depositions to prove the genuineness of foreign documents which it is desired to introduce in evidence in any criminal action or proceeding is a United States federal court, see 18 U.S.C. 3491 through 3496.

Procedure where laws of the foreign country do not permit the taking of depositions. In countries where the right to take depositions is not secured by treaty, notarizing officers may take depositions only if the laws or authorities of the national government will permit them to do so. Notarizing officers in countries where the taking of depositions is not permitted who receive notices or commissions for taking depositions should return the documents to the parties from whom they are received explaining why they are returning them, and indicating what other method or methods may be available for obtaining the depositions, whether by letters rogatory or otherwise.