The National Notary Association (NNA) brought policy expertise to the Notary Public Administrators (NPA) section meetings at the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) summer conference in Rapid City, South Dakota, focusing on the legislative trends, regulatory developments and policy issues shaping the Notary profession nationwide.

NNA Vice President of Government Affairs Bill Anderson and Director of Government Affairs and Policy Planning Brooke Merritt joined the conference, which drew Notary commissioning officials and industry stakeholders from across the country for sessions on deed fraud, remote online notarization, Apostilles and authentications, and other pressing issues facing the industry.

Deed Fraud Tops the Agenda

Deed fraud dominated conversations, with many states naming it the top challenge facing their offices. Several reported a rise in fraudulent deeds, often involving Notary impersonation or forged credentials. Regulators also pointed to a growing focus on Notary compliance and investigations, along with mounting concerns over errors in notarial acts on documents submitted for Apostille.

Fewer Bills, Same High Stakes

Merritt presented the NNA’s annual “Policy Flyby,” an analysis of Notary-related legislation and regulation nationwide. While fewer bills were introduced this year, their substance didn’t shrink — most active legislatures still saw Notary-related policy activity, much of it aimed at reducing fraud, raising commissioning standards, increasing penalties, and establishing new journal and training requirements.

Apostille Errors, Big Bottlenecks

State offices reported a growing wave of Apostille and authentication rejections tied to preventable Notary mistakes — and the strain those errors place on their staff. Commissioning officials noted these errors consume significant staff time. NPAs discussed how “Apostille agents” can help by catching notarial errors before documents reach the state.

Voting by Mail, Complicated by Notary Law

Merritt also unveiled original NNA research examining the nine jurisdictions where Notaries play a formal role in witnessing absentee ballots, spotlighting conflicts between state election law and Notary law that can lead Notaries to decline requests to witness voters casting their ballots.

The NNA’s presence at the NASS summer conference reflects its continued commitment to informing state commissioning authorities on policy trends, shaping sound policy, and supporting Notaries and NPAs across the country.

About the NNA

Established in 1957, the National Notary Association (NNA) is the leading professional authority on the American Notary office and is dedicated to educating, serving and advocating for the nation’s 4.4 million notaries. To learn more, visit NationalNotary.org.

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