Sample Notary Exam 1

Question 7

Register for a Notary Class

7) Falsifying an acknowledgement can result in what penalties?
          a) $750 fine and suspension or revocation of the notary commission.
          b) $1,500 fine and suspension or revocation of the notary commission.
          c) $2,500 fine and suspension or revocation of the notary commission.
          d) $10,000 fine and suspension or revocation of the notary commission.

Correct answer: d

          Falsifying an acknowledgment not only carries a potential for a $10,000 fine, but also a charge of forgery & perjury. We most often think of forgery as someone signing the name of someone else illegally, but forgery is not limited to this illegal action. Forgery is when anyone without the authority to modify a written instrument does do and when the modification is done with the intent to make it appear as if the genuine instrument originally included such information.   For example, if a notary completes an acknowledgment and someone else later changes information on that acknowledgment, i.e. the date or names of the persons indicated, that person will be guilty of forgery. When a notary falsifies an acknowledgment, the Secretary of State has determined that such action can be considered forgery.
          Perjury is when someone falsifies a statement (whether written or oral) while that person is under oath. A notary is under the oath he or she filed with the County Clerk at the time of commissioning so falsifying an acknowledgment may also be considered perjury. This is also why notaries sign the acknowledgment under Penalty of Perjury.
          Remember that almost all violations carry a potential for suspension or revocation of the notary commission except for when a notary is convicted of a crime relating to any notarial act. The notary commission must be revoked under such circumstances by the court and the court will require the notary surrender his or her notary seal and the court will then send that seal to the Secretary of State along with the notification of the commission revocation.