A Notary and Confidentially

A Notary and Confidentiality

Anyone who wants to become a Notary Public must know that a Notary and Confidentiality go hand-in-hand. As notaries, we have a responsibility to respect the privacy of our customers. The documents we service should remain in the strictest of confidence. It is part of our duty as a public official.

Just like an accountant or a banker would not discuss his or her client dealings in a casual manner, neither should we.

Confidentiality in the Workplace

Our opening statements are common sense. But here is where things get tricky. Let’s say you are an employee, and another employee feels entitlement to ask about a given notarial process. Well, if the document is not related to a company transaction within that person’s purview, we must honor the privacy of the notarial service. Certainly, a supervisor, or employee, is entitled to ask about company documents performed by an employee who is a notary. We could, and should, write an entire article on Notaries in the workplace.

The point is: The notary needs to understand the confidential nature concerning the personal information about the signer during the notarization process.

Safeguarding Personal Information

As we stated, a notary and confidentiality go hand-in-hand. Therefore, we should never make a copy of any document transactions. Furthermore. We should not copy the constituent’s identification. Should we do so, we could potentially jeopardize the privacy of the customer. Certainly, any notary practicing for a period of time, knows this. However, if you recently received your license, or simply preparing for your notary exam, be aware of your responsibility as a public official.

So, don’t be misguided by the fact that many notary documents are recorded as public record. This does not diminish our responsibility to protect the signer’s privacy. Simply put, avoid any potential breach of privacy. If you would like to read our other blog articles, or more about our NY notary training.

Be aware that a notary can be held accountable for not conducting him or herself to high standards. You can learn more about Notary Discipline by reading this blog.

If you live in Erie County, in New York, you an visit the Erie County Website. Or you can visit New York Licensing Services, which is a state website.