COVID-19 Important update from the California Secretary of State’s (SOS) office regarding commissions that have expired since March 1, 2020: (Please note this info can change daily. The SOS office releases new information and updates as it becomes available. It is your responsibility to keep updated on the executive order by the Governor. The link to the order signed by Governor Newsom is available on the SOS’s website at https://www.sos.ca.gov/notary/. If you have questions on your Notary Public commission, please call the SOS as they are the entity that issues commissions. SOS’s phone # 916-653-3595).
A: Extension of Notary Public Commissions
On May 8, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-63-20 (see paragraphs 6 and 7), extending commissions of notaries public for a period of 60 days for any notary public whose commission term has expired since March 1, 2020 or whose commission is set to expire over the next 60 days.
On June 30, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-71-20 extending the time frames in Executive Order N-63-20 an additional 120 days.
Notary public commission terms that expired anytime between March 1, 2020 and May 7, 2020, have been extended until November 3, 2020.
Notary public commission terms that expired after May 7, 2020 through November 3, 2020, are extended for 180 days on a rolling basis (i.e., someone whose commission expires on May 8, 2020, will have their commission extended until November 4, 2020, and someone whose commission expires on November 3, 2020 will have their commission extended until May 2, 2021).
B: Requirements for extension
This extension is valid provided the notary public whose commission term has been extended, maintains a valid surety bond during the extension, and annotates on each notarial act the following statement: “The notary commission extended pursuant to Executive Order N-63-20.”
C: Acceptance of Expired California Driver’s Licenses and Identification Cards
As a result of Executive Order N-63-20, California Drivers Licenses and Identification cards that expired on March 1, 2020 or later, must be accepted for a period of 60 days by California notaries public to establish satisfactory evidence of the individual appearing before them. The Secretary of State’s office recommends that notaries public annotate in their journal the expired Driver’s License or Identification Card was accepted due to Executive Order N-63-20.