§82. Appointment of notaries public; term of appointment; additional requirements for resident of adjoining state; term renewal of commissions

1.  Appointment and renewal.  The Secretary of State may appoint and renew a commission of a notary public who:

A. Is 18 years of age or older at the time of appointment;   [PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

B. Is a resident of this State at the time of appointment or is a resident of an adjacent state, is regularly employed or carries on a trade or business in this State at the time of appointment and submits an affidavit as described in subsection 2;   [PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

C. Demonstrates proficiency in the English language at the time of appointment;   [PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

D. Has not had a notary commission revoked or suspended for official misconduct in this State or any other jurisdiction during the 5-year period preceding the date of application;   [PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

E. Has not been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for one year or more, or of a lesser offense incompatible with the duties of a notary public as defined by rule by the Secretary of State during the 10-year period preceding the date of application for a new or renewed commission; and   [PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

F. Has satisfactorily completed a written examination prescribed by the Secretary of State to determine the fitness of the person to exercise the functions of the office of notary public.   [PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

[PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

2.  Affidavit.  An applicant for appointment as a notary public who resides in an adjoining state must submit to the Secretary of State with the application an affidavit as follows:

A. If the applicant is not self-employed, an affidavit from the applicant's employer stating that:

(1) The employer is licensed, authorized or registered to do business in this State; and

(2) The employer regularly employs the applicant at an office, business or facility that is located in this State; or   [PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

B. If the applicant is self-employed, an affidavit from the applicant stating that:

(1) The applicant is licensed, authorized or registered to do business in this State; and

(2) The applicant has an office, business or facility that is located in this State.   [PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

The affidavit required by this subsection must be in a form and format as defined by rule by the Secretary of State.

[PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

3.  Written examination.  The Secretary of State shall:

A. Make the written examination required by subsection 1 a part of the application for a new commission or the renewal of a commission; and   [PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

B. Furnish study materials relating to the written examination to an applicant without charge upon request of the applicant.   [PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

[PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

3-A.  Oath.  A newly appointed notary public shall take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation before a dedimus justice:

"I, (name), do swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and of this State, so help me God."

"I, (name), do swear that I will faithfully discharge, to the best of my abilities, the duties incumbent on me as a Notary Public according to the Constitution of Maine and laws of this State, so help me God."

When a person is conscientiously scrupulous of taking an oath, the word "affirm" may be substituted for the word "swear" and the words "this I do under penalty of perjury" may be substituted for the words "so help me God."

[PL 2009, c. 74, §3 (NEW).]

4.  Term.  A person appointed as a notary public serves the following term of office:

A. For a resident of this State, a term of 7 years; or   [PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

B. For a resident of an adjacent state, a term of 4 years.   [PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

[PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

5.  Power extends to all counties.  A person appointed as a notary public may exercise that person's power and duties in any and all counties in this State.

[PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

6.  Rules.  The Secretary of State shall adopt rules relating to the appointment and renewal of commissions of notaries public. The rules must include criteria and a procedure to be applied by the Secretary of State in appointment and renewal. The Secretary of State may not refuse to appoint or renew solely because the applicant lives or works in a specific geographic area or because of political party affiliation. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

[PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

7.  Notice of expiration of commission.  The Secretary of State shall provide notice of the expiration of a commission to a notary public 30 days prior to the expiration date. The notice must be in a form or format as determined by rule by the Secretary of State. Failure to receive a notice does not affect the expiration date of a commission.

[PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (NEW).]

8.  Investigation of complaints.

[PL 2009, c. 74, §4 (RP).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 1975, c. 87, §2 (RPR). PL 1975, c. 771, §§31-A (RPR). PL 1979, c. 541, §A19 (AMD). PL 1981, c. 456, §A15 (RPR). PL 1987, c. 736, §5 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 465, §§6,7 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 712, §3 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 285, §1 (RPR). PL 2009, c. 74, §§3, 4 (AMD).