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Norm Heikens, one of the editors for the Indianapolis Business Journal recently claimed that the role of a Notary Public is not in demand as much as it was in the past and, as such, the number of Notaries Public is declining rapidly. He quoted an attorney from the Indiana Secretary of State's office who indicated that the reason for the decline is progression of technology and less reliance on the postal mail for sending documents.
In California, the decline in the number of notaries has been similar -- 22% (65,000) since 2008. However, I disagree about the reasons for the decline. The decline has nothing to do with technology so much as it does with tighter background checks, liability and increased costs. With identity theft on the rise, the need for qualified and thorough notaries is more important than ever. In California, the requirements to become a Notary have become much more strict. We now have to pass both a state Department of Justice as well as an FBI background check. The costs associated with obtaining a commission are increasing, too. For some, the costs involve with being a notary are simply too high to remain in business.
More importantly -- the liability associated with being a notary has increased. Many businesses that paid for their employees to obtain commissions are no longer willing to do so because of those rising costs and liability issues. Some companies have stopped offering notary service completely -- and it's not due to the lack of demand. For example, as of June 1, 2010 FedEx Office (Kinko's) Print & Ship Stores no longer offer notary services anywhere in the United States. One of the primary reasons for this is because in 2009 an appellate court found Kinko's liable for the actions of one of their employees due to lack of training and supervision. This particular case has had quite an impact on the number of large employers who keep notaries on staff - and as such, many employers are refusing to renew commissions and, like FedEx/Kinko's, simply no longer offer notary services at all.
The National Notary Association has published a rather detailed explanation of the Kinko's case. While it is specific to Illinois, it's clearly having an impact across the country.
In my local area many of the walk-in locations that had a notary on staff have closed, including a UPS Store. Most banks will only notarize signatures on documents that involve branch business. Even if you're a customer of the bank, if the document has nothing to do with a loan or some other bank transaction, chances are they will refuse to help you.
The need for Notaries Public has not gone away at all... it's just becoming more difficult to find them because of tighter regulations and increasing costs. For many of the dedicated Notaries out there, such as myself, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. This is especially true for areas that have been saturated with notaries for the past several years thanks to the notary education companies who over-promoted the potential for glamorous 6-figure incomes -- which, by the way is FAR from reality, for which I give my 11-year old Honda as proof.
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