The Common Pleas Court
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				Crawford County, Ohio
notaries public information
			Who is eligible to become a Notary Public for the State of Ohio?
			Who should you contact and what is needed to become a Notary Public for the State of Ohio?
			What is the term of office for a Notary Public for the State of Ohio?
			What is needed upon being commissioned as a Notary Public for the State of Ohio?
			Administration of the oath when acting as a Notary Public for the State of Ohio.
			What should I do if my name changes during my commission as a Notary Public?
			If I move from Crawford County after I am commissioned as a Notary Public of the State of Ohio as a resident of the county, what should I do?
			How do I renew my commission as a Notary Public for the State of Ohio and a resident of Crawford County?
			Other Questions.
Who is eligible to become a Notary Public for the State of Ohio?
		Any person of the age of 18 years or older, who is a resident of the State of Ohio and has produced to the Office of the Ohio Secretary of State a certificate signed by a judge of the supreme court, court of appeals, or common pleas court of the county in which he/she resides may be appointed a Notary Public for the State of Ohio. In order to apply to become a Notary Public for the State of Ohio in Crawford County, you must currently maintain physical residence within the county.
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Who should you contact and what is needed to become a Notary Public for the State of Ohio?
		In Crawford County, you should contact Evelyn Gubernath at the Common Pleas Court. We are located on the second floor of the Courthouse, 112 East Mansfield Street, Bucyrus, Ohio. Evelyn is available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., excluding observed holidays. In order to apply to become a Notary Public for the State of Ohio at our offices, you must currently maintain physical residency within Crawford County. It is necessary that you contact Evelyn in person, bringing with you a check or money order (cash is not acceptable) for $15.00 (fees subject to change) made payable to the SOS Notary Commission and a picture ID issued by the State of Ohio. You will be required to complete a written examination. This examination will be presented with two informational guides that may be used when completing the examination. You will also be required to complete two applications. One application is for a background check, which is completed through the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department. The other application is for your appointment as a State of Ohio Notary Public and is signed by the judge once the court is certain that you are of good moral character, a citizen of this county, and possess sufficient qualifications and ability to discharge your duties of the office. It will take approximately three to four weeks for your commission to be approved and processed through the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office. Once your background check has been completed and returned to the court showing a clean record, your commission request will be forwarded to the judge for approval. Upon the judge’s signed approval, your commission application will be forwarded to the State for issuance of your commission certificate. You will receive your certificate via regular mail and must then return to the Courthouse to the Clerk of Court’s Office to have it recorded. The charge for recording your certificate is $6.00 (fees subject to change) and is payable by check, money order or cash. If paying by check or money order, please make it payable to the Clerk of Court. Once you have recorded your certificate with the Clerk of Court’s Office and have obtain an official seal, you are free to act as a Notary Public for the State of Ohio.
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What is the term of office for a Notary Public for the State of Ohio?
		The term of appointment of a Notary Public for the State of Ohio, other than an attorney at law, is five years. You must not knowingly perform any act as a notary after the expiration of your commission and prior to receiving and recording your new commission as such an act shall render a person ineligible for reappointment and may result in fines.
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What is needed upon being commissioned as a Notary Public for the State of Ohio?
		Upon receiving your commission certificate from the Ohio Secretary of State, you must come to the Courthouse to have your commission recorded in the Clerk of Court’s Office. Before entering upon the discharge of your duties, you shall provide yourself with a seal of a notary public. This seal must consist of the coat of arms of the State of Ohio within a circle one inch in diameter and be surrounded by the words “notary public”, “notarial seal”, or words to that effect, and the words “State of Ohio”. You may obtain such a seal at an office supply store. You may also equip yourself with a stamp that prints your name and the date that your commission expires. This stamp is not necessary, but you should be aware that when signing any document as a Notary Public for the State of Ohio, you must sign your name as it appears on your commission, legibly print your name and the expiration of your commission under your signature and affix the official seal of a notary public.
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Administration of the oath when acting as a Notary Public for the State of Ohio.
		A frequent act of a notary public is to administer oaths to persons making affidavits. To do this, you first must satisfy yourself as to the identity of the person taking the oath. Feel free to check a picture ID. Next, ask the person to raise his/her right hand. While the person’s hand is raised, ask the person: “Do you swear (or attest) that the information contained in this document is true?” or words that are substantially equivalent. After the person’s affirmative reply, have the person sign his/her name on the document at the place provided. Finally, complete the notarial statement by inserting the correct date, signing your own name, as it appears on your commission, stamping or printing your name and commission expiration date below your signature, and embossing your notarial seal over or near your signature. A notary public who does not administer such an oath or affirmation, if convicted, shall be removed from office and be ineligible to reappointment for a term of three years, fined not more than $100 and/or be imprisoned not more than thirty days.
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What should I do if my name changes during my commission as a Notary Public?
		If your name is changed prior to the expiration of your commission you shall thereafter continue to sign, as a notary, your name as shown on your commission certificate, stamping or printing your name and commission expiration date in the same fashion as prior to the name change and adding a note below your signature that a name change has occurred due to marriage, divorce, etc. and typing or legibly printing your present name within the note. Upon time to renew your commission, you may do so using your changed name.
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If I move from Crawford County after I am commissioned as a Notary Public of the State of Ohio as a resident of the county, what should I do?
		As a Notary Public of the State of Ohio, you are authorized to act as a notary throughout the entire state. If your county residency should change, you may want to register your commission with the county in which you have moved. Upon time to renew your commission, you will need to contact the county in which you then reside.
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How do I renew my commission as a Notary Public for the State of Ohio and a resident of Crawford County?
		In Crawford County, you should contact Evelyn Gubernath at the Common Pleas Court. We are located on the second floor of the Courthouse, 112 East Mansfield Street, Bucyrus, Ohio. Evelyn is available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., excluding observed holidays. In order to apply to renew a State of Ohio Notary Public Certification at our offices, you must currently maintain physical residency within Crawford County. It is necessary that you contact Evelyn in person, bringing with you a check or money order (cash is not acceptable) for $15.00 (fees subject to change) made payable to the SOS Notary Commission and a picture ID issued by the State of Ohio. You will be required to complete a written examination. This examination will be presented with two informational guides that may be used when completing the examination. You will also be required to complete two applications. One application is for a background check, which is completed through the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department. The other application is for your appointment as a State of Ohio Notary Public and is signed by the judge once the court is certain that you are of good moral character, a citizen of this county, and possess sufficient qualifications and ability to discharge your duties of the office. It will take approximately three to four weeks for your commission to be approved and processed through the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office. Once your background check has been completed and returned to the court showing a clean record, your commission request will be forwarded to the judge for approval. Upon the judge’s signed approval, your commission application will be forwarded to the State for issuance of your commission certificate. You will receive your certificate via regular mail and must then return to the Courthouse to the Clerk of Court’s Office to have it recorded. The charge for recording your certificate is $6.00 (fees subject to change) and is payable by check, money order or cash. If paying by check or money order, please make it payable to the Clerk of Court. Once you have recorded your certificate with the Clerk of Court’s Office and have obtain an official seal, you are free to act as a Notary Public for the State of Ohio. You should not use the expiration date of your new commission until your current commission expires. It is customary that your new expiration date will fall in line exactly five years from the expiration of your current or recently expired commission. However, it is recommended that you do not supply yourself with a new stamp, if applicable, until you have your new commission certificate with your new expiration date in the event that for some reason the expiration date of your new commission should not exactly coincide. If your commission expired more than 6 months prior to your re-applying, you will be required to complete an application as if you are a new applicant, rather than an applicant renewing your commission.
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If you have any questions regarding your notary public that are not answered on this page, please contact Evelyn Gubernath at 419-562-5771, extension 1146.
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