State of VermontOffice of the Secretary of State
State of VermontThe profession of notariate began in Vermont in 1797, with the passage of a law that appointed only the clerks of the supreme and county courts as notaries.Then, in 1829, the judges of the county courts were given the authority to appoint one notary public in each county in which there was a bank, "to whose protestations, attestations and other instruments of publication, due faith and credence [should] be given."
Jurisdiction of notaries was limited to the county alone, but was extended in 1852 to the state as a whole. In 1900 the General Assembly first permitted women to serve as notaries.
Today the office is Vermont's most popular appointive position, with more than 21,000 appointed quadrennially to meet the notarial needs of Vermont.
As a result of recent litigation, notably in California, the profession is rapidly evolving. What previously seemed the most innocuous of duties has suddenly become a source of risk and liability for notaries public throughout the country. At no other time since the state first provided for notarial commissions has a comprehensive guide to a notary's rights and responsibilities seemed so necessary.
That is the reason we have posted this short guide, now in its fifth edition. We hope that it will be read and used in the spirit that it is offered -- not as the last word on notarization, but at least as a means of ensuring that the few laws we do have on the subject of notaries in Vermont are understood and respected.
NEXT: How To Become a Notary Public