I've always worked at companies that have an employee who is a notary public. If you start a survey business on your own, can you become a notary yourself? Probably a dumb question but I don't know the rules yet.
Check online with the Secretary of State Office for your geographic area.
Here are the requirements for Kansas for an example.
Yes, you can.
A notary cannot legally notarize a his own signature nor a document in which his name appears.
Your mileage may vary.
I've seen plenty of notary stamps, by the surveyor that stamped the survey, for his client that signed the survey to adjust a boundary or create a subdivision.
Like Mr. Cow suggested; check with your state...
Dougie
I'm a notary in Vermont. There's a good chance you or someone in your firm can become a notary in your state. But laws vary from state to state about whether an employee-notary can notarize a document that pertains to the company they work for. And as others have said, notarizing a document that the notary signed as a principal (e.g. corporate officer, surveyor, or survey technician) would not be allowed. Not so clear if the notary's name appears but the notary didn't sign it.
One exception is a state where a notary can certify a paper copy of a document that was notarized electronically. If the notary performed an act electronically and signed the document electronically as a notary, the same notary could print it out and certify the printout as a true copy.
I know lawyers who are notaries, PE's that are notaries, I don't know any surveyors that are notaries, but there is no rule against it. You will have to pay attention to your state's rules, but otherwise go for it.
I was an NC notary for a bit years ago, but let it lapse. As I remember, you were not supposed to notarize anything that you had an interest in? I found this on a quick peruse...
https://www.notarypublicstamps.com/articles/why-notaries-cannot-notarize-their-own-documents/
I am a notary and a PLS. I refuse to notarize any document that I am signing as a PLS, not only because it is illegal in Montana, but also because it is a blatant conflict of interest.
@hi-staker thank you for posting this.
I've seen several recorded surveys for boundary line adjustments and small subdivisions; where the surveyor stamping and signing the document is also the notary stamping and signing the document.
Guess they figure it's only going to be a problem if somebody makes it a problem. risky business in my book...
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