| (a) A notary is authorized to refuse to perform a notarial act if: (1) the notary has reasonable grounds to believe that the signer is acting under coercion or undue influence; (2) the notary has reasonable grounds to believe that the document in connection with which the notarial act is requested may be used for an unlawful or improper purpose; (3) the notary has concerns about the capacity of the signing party to understand the contents of the document; (4) the notary is not familiar with the type of notarization requested. (b) A notary who is employed by a governmental body shall not perform notarial services that interfere with the notary's discharge of the notary's duties as a public employee. (c) A notary may not refuse a request for notarial services on the basis of the sex, age, religion, race, ethnicity or national origin of the requesting party. (d) A notary should refuse request for notarial services only after careful deliberation. |
