Notary Public Services

The notary public is a public official appointed by the Secretary of the State. The notary has the power to administer oaths, take acknowledgments and perform other duties as permitted by law.

No Legal Transactions

The notary must always comply with Connecticut state law and provide high quality service, while remembering that a notary public does not have the training or authority to prepare legal documents or recommend a course of action in legal transactions. Any person who is in need of such assistance is advised to consult an attorney.

A notary public is not trained or authorized to assist persons in the execution of wills.

The Town Clerk’s Office offers notary services for most documents with the following exceptions: wills, power of attorney or documents to be filed on the Newington land records.

Identification

Connecticut law requires that the signer of the document to be notarized provides the notary with at least 2 forms of identification (unless the notary personally knows the signer) containing the individual’s signature, at least 1 of which also contains the photograph of the signer, or a physical description. Examples of these documents would include a valid driver’s license and a credit card that has been signed.

Social Security cards and birth certificates are not to be used as a form of identification.

Fee

There is a $5 fee for each notarized signature (payable by cash or check).

Notary Public Forms

Any person who is a resident of Connecticut or who has a principal place of business in Connecticut and is eighteen years of age or older, may apply to become a Notary Public in the State of Connecticut. An application must be completed in the applicant’s own handwriting and filed with the Secretary of the State. There is a statutory non-refundable filing fee of $120. The examination is incorporated into the notary public application form and must be completed by each applicant.

The following forms are made available from this site as a service to our customers:

History

As early as the days of the Roman Empire there is mention of a “notarius” - a scribe taking notes or minutes and drafting various instruments. Since few people could write and commercial agreements were made orally, the services of the “notarius” were sought to reduce these agreements to a definite written record. With the growth of commerce and organized civil life, these same services were needed for instruments of contract, disposition of property and court records.

In Connecticut in 1833, notaries were given the power to administer oaths, take depositions and acknowledge deeds. In 1800 there were 15 notaries in Connecticut; today there are more than 59,000.