Kansas Notary Public

Notaries in Kansas are authorized by the Kansas Secretary of State to perform the following tasks:

• Take acknowledgments
• Administer oaths and affirmations
• Take a verification upon oath or affirmation
• Witness or attest a signature
• Certify or authenticate a copy

The notary is responsible for confirming that the person whose signature is being verified is, in fact, the person who has signed the document.

The proof of identification can be either from personal knowledge or evidence provided. It can also be provided by a person who is known to the notary.

In the State of Kansas, notarial tasks may also be performed by the following Kansas state officials:

• A judge, clerk, or deputy clerk of any Kansas court
• A county clerk or deputy county clerk
• An election commissioner or assistant election commissioner
• Any other person authorized by Kansas law specifically to perform notary duties

All documents notarized in Kansas must have the notary’s public seal.

These seals must contain the notary public’s name and the words ‘Notary Public’ and ‘State of Kansas.’ Pressed seals must also be inked or blackened to permit photocopying.

Additionally, Kansas notaries are not permitted to perform notarial duties if they have a direct financial interest in the transaction. As a general guideline, if the notary’s name appears on the document or is a signer, they are ineligible to notarize it.

All the notaries in Kansas must also keep a journal of their notarial duties. It can be kept in an electronic and tangible format, with the requirement to keep the journal for 10 years. 

For each notarization, this notary journal should contain the following: 

• The time and date of the notarial act 
• The description of the notarial act 
• The full name and address of the person for whom the notarial act has been performed 
• If the person has been identified based on personal knowledge or an identification credential, a statement describing it needs to be added
• The notary fee, if applicable 

If the notary journal is lost or stolen, the notary needs to report it to the Secretary of the State.