Following the effective date of the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA) on October 26, 2017:
Mandatory Education
Requirement
Pennsylvania
notaries public are required to be familiar with the duties and
responsibilities of the office. As a condition for initial appointment and
reappointment, all notaries public are required to complete a three-hour
preapproved notary public education course within six months immediately
preceding application.
An approved
notary education course may be comprised of either interactive or classroom
instruction and must contain a core curriculum covering the duties and
responsibilities of the notary office and electronic notarization. Courses
preapproved by the Secretary are designated as approved for initial appointment
or approved for reappointment. All courses approved for initial appointment may
be used to satisfy the education requirement for reappointment, in addition to
the courses approved solely for reappointment. Courses approved for
reappointment are more advanced in content and are designed to be relevant for
the notary who has already completed the basic education course and has
encountered more complicated documents and advanced notary issues in the course
of a previous commission. Please see Notary
Education Providers for a list of approved
notary public education course providers.
The Bureau
of Commissions, Elections and Legislation will conduct periodic notary public
education audits by checking the applicant's name against a class roster
provided by the approved education provider to ensure the authenticity of the
proof submitted.
It is anticipated that participation in mandatory notary
education courses will enhance notary performance in Pennsylvania. Moreover,
course completion will assist notaries public in Pennsylvania to continue to
attain a high level of professionalism in serving their customers as a
commissioned Pennsylvania public official.
There
is no exemption to the mandatory education requirement. With the implementation of the Revised Uniform Law on
Notarial Acts on October 26, 2017, the exemption previously available for
notaries whose commission was in effect on July 1, 2003, is abolished. All
notaries public are required to complete an approved notary education course in
order to be appointed or reappointed, including those notaries previously
“grandfathered” by the Tritt v. Cortés court ruling.