Notary & Apostille

RULONA FAQs

In 2021, the State of New Mexico enacted the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, aka RULONA (Sections 14-14-A1 to 14-14A-32 NMSA 1978) This law requires the Office of the Secretary of State to provide training and examination with the law as well as for performing Remote Online Notarizations.

The following FAQs are meant to help new and existing Notaries to navigate the changes that are now in place under RULONA.  Please refer to the below links for the RULONA Statute and Notarial Procedures:

RULONA Statute12.9.3 NMAC – Notarial Procedures
12.9.4 NMAC – Notarial Procedures

For all other questions please refer to the Notary handbook HERE

Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Act (RULONA) FAQs

Questions? Answers. Please refer to the sections of law shown in parenthesis.
What is RULONA? RULONA stands for Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts. RULONA [14-14A-1 to 14-14A-32 NMSA 1978] has replaced the previous Notarial Act [14-12A-1 to 14-12A-26 NMSA 1978].
What are the requirements to become a notary public? Individuals wishing to become a notary public are required to take the New Mexico Notary Education course and exam, register their official seal once commissioned, and maintain a journal of every notarial act they provide. Detailed information HERE
Have stamp requirements changed? Yes. Applicants are required to provide proof of their official stamp 45 days after the Certificate of Commission is issued.  Failure to do so will result in a referral to the State Ethics Commission. Detailed information HERE.
Is there a new Notary Application? Yes, Click HERE for new Notary Application
What is the application fee? The application fee is $30. There is also a separate $30 fee for the training and exam that will be paid directly to the vendor
Does RULONA impact non commissioned Notarial Officers? Yes.  Non-commissioned notarial officers are now required to provide proof of their official stamp to the Office of the Secretary of State. If they wish to be a Remote Online Notary, they must comply with the requirements to be a Remote Online Notary.
Do I have to keep a Journal as a commissioned notary public? Yes.  Journal requirements can be found here.
I was commissioned prior to 2022, do I have to comply with RULONA? All notaries public are required to comply with RULONA for any Notarial Acts performed after January 1, 2022, which includes maintaining a Journal and complying with the new stamp requirements.
I was commissioned prior to 2022, do I have to take the New Mexico Notary Education course and exam? Existing notaries are not required to take the required training and examination until renewal of their commission.
I have ordered my new Official Stamp, but it will not be here by January 1, 2022. Can I continue to use my old stamp or seal after January 1, 2022? Yes, there will be a six-month grace period for existing notaries public that were commissioned prior to January 1, 2022. Within the grace period you must submit proof of your Official Stamp to the Office of the Secretary of State and destroy your old stamp or seal. On July 1, 2022, all existing notaries public that have not complied with the stamp requirements will be referred to the State Ethics Commission.
I have questions regarding Remote Online Notary (RON). Please refer to Remote Online Notarization FAQs

 

Quick Contact Information


Mailing & Physical Address
New Mexico Capitol Annex North
325 Don Gaspar, Suite 300
Santa Fe, NM 87501

Hours of Operation
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday through Friday

Toll Free : 1-800-477-3632

Business Services Division
Phone 505-827-3600 (Option 1)
Fax 505-827-4387
Email Business.Services@sos.nm.gov

Bureau of Elections
Phone: 505-827-3600 (Option 2)
Email: Elections@sos.nm.gov

Ethics Division
Phone: 505-827-3600 (Option 2)
Email: Sos.ethics@sos.nm.gov

Receptionist
Phone 505-827-3600 (Option 3)

Accessibility Options button