Rule 34 Notary Public Applications

An Attorney, duly licensed in the State of Ohio, shall be appointed by the Court of Common Pleas upon recommendation of the Washington County Bar Association President, to serve as coordinator of the application process for notary publics in Washington County, Ohio. The attorney shall serve at the pleasure of the Court. The attorney shall investigate the moral character, the qualifications and ability to discharge the duties of the office of notary public of all applicants for a commission. Application shall be on such form as may be required by the attorney. Any person applying for the first time and any person whose commission has expired for five years or more shall be required to take a written examination to be prepared and graded by the coordinator.

Examinations shall be held at regular intervals.

The coordinator shall promptly transmit to the Court the names of the persons who have successfully completed the examination and those whose applications have been approved. A Judge of this Court shall not consider or act upon the application of any person to be a notary unless there is first submitted to him the report of the coordinator.

Should any applicant after filing an application for examination fail to appear for said examination within ninety days after the filing of this application, said application shall thereupon become null and void and the fee paid shall be forfeited.

An applicant who fails to pass the examination may not file a new application for reexamination sooner than thirty days from the date of his last examination.

Attorneys at law admitted to practice in Ohio and those persons who have held a commission as notary pubic at any time within the five years prior to their application shall not be required to take an examination, but they shall make application on the approved forms.

Applications shall be accompanied by the following fees:

1. Where the applicant is required to take the examination - $8.00.
2. Where the applicant is not required to take the examination - $300.

The fees shall be made payable to the Washington County Bar Association. In addition the application shall be accompanied by the fee provided by law for the commission clerk in the Governor's office, which amount shall be refunded to the applicant in the event his application is not approved.

The fees paid to the Washington County Bar Association shall be used to cover the expenses of the coordinating attorney, (secretarial, clerical, accounting, etc.) incurred in relation to the administration of the notary public application procedure. The Washington County Bar Association shall present before July 31st of each year an accounting of all fees received by virtue of this rule and all expenditures made.

Whenever it shall come to the attention of the Bar Association or the coordinating attorney that any notary public is improperly exercising his office or powers in the county, it shall be the duty of the coordinating attorney or the Bar Association to file a complaint in the Common Pleas Court setting forth in a brief manner the acts of things done improperly by such notary public. Said complaint shall request a time and place be set for hearing and the said notary be informed thereof. The Judge assigned shall, at such time and place as he may designate after notice has been given to the notary public against whom the complaint is filed, conduct a hearing on the complaint and make such orders of findings as are just and proper in the circumstances.

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