Effective July 1, 2003, a new notary public law went into effect.  In addition to an increase in the application fee and the surety bond amount, the new law also provides duties and responsibilities for the notary as well as increased fees that notaries may charge for their services.  The new Notary Public Act is included in this handbook for your reference.  As a Notary Public you are a state official serving an important function. Your role as an impartial witness to the signatures on documents and the affixing of your seal plays an important role in the prevention of fraud and protection of the parties involved.

It is your responsibility to determine that a person signing a document is the person he or she claims to be.

The duties and responsibilities of New Mexico Notaries Public are set forth in Chapter 286, Laws of 2003, which are reproduced herein.

If you have questions of a legal nature you should consult an attorney.  However, if you have any questions that are not of a legal nature and are not addressed here, please telephone our Office of the Secretary of State at (505) 827-3600, or (800) 477-3632. You may also write or visit us at the State Capitol North Annex, Suite 300, Santa Fe, NM 87503.
 
 

Notary Public Act (Effective July 1, 2003)

If you are having problems viewing documents from this page: Click Here 

 
 

The following forms and instructions are in Adobe PDF format and require a Adobe Acrobat reader version to be read. If  you do not already have a copy or have an earlier version loaded on your computer,  Acrobat Reader version  is available for various platforms (PC, MAC, Unix, etc.) free. To download a free copy click Adobe.

15.   Application and Instructions for becoming a Notary Public*
Please note that the turnaround time for a notary application is five to seven working days from the time we receive the application.

16.  Notary Public Name Change Application For your convenience forms are fillable!

17. Notary Public Change of Address Form

18. Notary Public Request For Duplicate Certificate of Appointment

19. Notary Education and On-Line Training

The New Mexico Secretary of State encourages all New Mexico notaries to take advantage of on-line education resources or other educational courses offered by national organizations.  As public officials it is important for notaries to maintain a level of education appropriate for conducting their notarial duties.  Provided for you as a public service , listed below are national organizations that present for a fee on-line education, live notary seminars, membership and notary journals.

American Society of Notaries                     National Notary Association

Notary Law Institute                                United States Notary Association

DISCLAIMER: The notary organizations listed above are provided merely as a quick reference for those interested in pursuing training, membership, educational materials or notary supplies. It is not the intention of the Secretary of State to exclude any organization not specifically mentioned and it should be noted that the reference as listed above are not the only resources of the kind available. It is therefore recommended that individuals with such interests research the specifics of available entities to obtain the full spectrum of their available options.

* For notaries applying  for a renewal commission, Section 14-12A-6, NMSA 1978, states that  "...a notary public may be reappointed upon making application in the same manner as required for an original  application."