Finding a job upon release from prison is a challenging task to resume careers for felons. Felons have a mindset and think no one will give them a job, but there are various resources available to seek jobs.
Felons also require creativity and willingness to learn a new skill and start a different career. This career opportunity for felons allows them to establish a new profession.
This article addresses the question of whether a felon is eligible to become a notary.
- Define a Notary
- Duties of a Notary
- Training for Notary
- Earnings for a Notary
- Felons as Notary
- Support Felons to Become a Notary
Contents
Define Notary
A notary is a person who serves the public as a witness and signs important documents such as deeds, wills, and power of attorney. Notary gets appointed by State Governments in a responsible position to verify the true identity of the signer and demonstrates a willingness to sign documents with freedom. A notary also attempts to understand its contents.
It is also the responsibility of a notary to sign important documents as an impartial witness. A notary also serves as a state representative to certify life-changing documents like sales deed in real estate and power of attorney.
Read more: How to Become a Notary Signing Agent?
Duties of a Notary
- Demonstrates ability to keep track of signed and official documents.
- Orientation to detail to ensure accuracy of documents
- Ability to work independently
- Also demonstrates effective communication and interpersonal skills to deal with a variety of individuals as a witness
- Integrity to carry out impartial duties
- Possesses knowledge of current rules and regulations
- Maintains an accurate schedule to complete the task at hand easily
Training for Notary
There are certain guidelines to become a notary. Although graduation from high school is important, felons must become legal residents of the state they are residing in before they become a notary. Every state however has different rules and regulations to become a notary. California, Colorado, Florida, Montana, Oregon, and Pennsylvania require notary training.
Felons must also learn all rules and regulations associated with a notary. All training courses are certified by the state government of the particular state and the sessions conducted involve 3 to 6 hours of training per session. Taking an exam requires an application, fingerprinting, and background check. The term of service for a notary is 2 to 4 years. After completion, it requires renewal.
Earnings for a Notary
The statistics of notary has increased from 4.5 million notaries in the US. This occupation saw a 7% growth in the financial year 2020. The average salary for a notary is 12.78 dollars an hour. Notaries’ job is generally part-time. Notaries work in office premises which may or may not link to notary duties.
Annually, a notary earns between 10, 000 to 15,000 dollars or much more depending on how active they are as a notary. The area and the country where the notary resides also play a critical role in governing how much a notary might earn. Notaries residing on northeastern coasts earn higher than notary residing on the southern-eastern coast.
Felons as Notary
A felon cannot become a notary very easily since the documents involved are sensitive. Some states conduct a background verification check for felons who take notary exams.
The application form consists of a specific question which talks about criminal convictions. This is enough for eliminating the application of a felon. Background verification check verifies criminal history of the past 10 years.
A 25-point scale checks criminal records for 10 years, anyone achieving a 25 – points on the scale disqualifies from the notary application. Drug sale or distribution, domestic violence, assault, and terrorist threats, and sexual crimes will score 25 – points and disqualify a person.
It is important to showcase honesty while filling a notary application form. A felon can also be sent back to prison for falsifying the application. Felons get opportunities such as drug treatment programs and different educational opportunities, having felony expunged to begin a job as a notary. This also allows felons to lead an honest and integral life with dignity and responsibility.
Support Felons to Become a Notary
Families and friends of felons provide consistent support to ensure felons receive a fair opportunity to become a notary and reestablish an honest life. It is also a good idea to assist felons with criminal record clearance as these open opportunities for a fresh life which is clear and free from criminal records. If felons have a sincere desire, they can become a notary easily with a clean record.
Does A Criminal Record Permit You to Become a Notary?
State offices are lenient with minor disciplinary actions such as traffic violations and parking tickets. All crimes however involving dishonesty, fraud or kidnapping, murder, rape, bribery, etc. are eliminated from being a notary. Some states also offer forgiving rules to clean and clear the criminal; records of felons so that they become eligible for the job of a notary.
Each state also has different guidelines for becoming a notary who serves the public. A felon must also reveal all criminal history and convictions truthfully.
Documents You Need To Provide
1 Written statement for explaining circumstances behind each incident
2 A copy of the FIR
3 A copy of the order of sentence
4 A certificate to restore civil rights
5 A formal background verification check is a mandate to complete the application process
6 Fingerprints are obtained to create your government id
Factors That Disqualify Felons From Notary
- Criminal or felony record for a felon.
- Professional license suspended before.
- The applicant is a notary in any other state
- Failure in disclosing necessary information
- Any breach of trust or felon activity committed after Notary
- Commissions sanction your application; it gets revoked
Bottom Line
Be honest while you apply for a notary position, collect adequate reference letters, seek legal assistance to clear your criminal record, it is a difficult task for felons to apply for a notary application. Serious criminal offenses lead to the cancellation of notary applications.
Felons with a clean image and non-serious crimes can apply for a notary’s job. Any crime committed after the notary application gets sanctioned gets easily revoked.
If you are a felon, with 2 criminal cases, one for trespass, and one for false information to a pawn shop, is there any way you can become a notary? They were cases with the individuals parent and this individual was battling drug addiction at the time and has since been almost 8 years clean. Or is there somewhere she can look to find some free legal help to get her record expunged? She has spent the last 6 years living with this same parent and taking care of them, as medically it has been necessary. She lives a very clean, open and honest lifestyle. Has the confidence of her doctors, the parents doctors, to the point that she is and has been left in charge of narcotics, without one incidence of them being used or abused by her, only her parent. Is that enough good to out weigh the bad, or what can I advise her she has as options. She is in her mid 40’s, not a lot of work time under her belt, her addiction was 13 years, so unfortunately, she doesn’t have a ton of professionally noted skills, however; she does have many skills that just have not been recognized by any company or profession. Please let me know what advice I can provide. She is worried about her future, especially when she doesn’t have said parent to live with. Thank you.