5 ILCS 312/6-104
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 5 - GENERAL PROVISIONS|5 ILCS 312/ - Illinois Notary Public Act.|Article VI - Notarial Acts And Forms

 (from Ch. 102, par. 206-104)(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 102-160)Sec. 6-104. Acts prohibited.(a) A notary public shall not use any name or initial in signing  certificates other than that by which the notary was commissioned.(b) A notary public shall not acknowledge any instrument in which the  notary's name appears as a party to the transaction.(c) A notary public shall not affix his signature to a blank form of  affidavit or certificate of acknowledgment.(d) A notary public shall not take the acknowledgment of or administer  an oath to any person whom the notary actually knows to have been adjudged  mentally ill by a court of competent jurisdiction and who has not been  restored to mental health as a matter of record.(e) A notary public shall not take the acknowledgment of any person who  is blind until the notary has read the instrument to such person.(f) A notary public shall not take the acknowledgment of any person who  does not speak or understand the English language, unless the nature and  effect of the instrument to be notarized is translated into a language  which the person does understand.(g) A notary public shall not change anything in a written instrument  after it  has been signed by anyone.(h) No notary public shall be authorized to prepare any legal  instrument, or fill in the blanks of an instrument, other than a notary  certificate; however, this prohibition shall not prohibit an attorney,  who is also a notary public, from performing notarial acts for any document  prepared by that attorney.(i) If a notary public accepts or receives any money from any one to  whom an oath has been administered or on behalf of whom an acknowledgment  has been taken for the purpose of transmitting or forwarding such money to  another and willfully fails to transmit or forward such money promptly, the  notary is personally liable for any loss sustained because of such failure.  The person or persons damaged by such failure may bring an action to  recover damages, together with interest and reasonable attorney fees,  against such notary public or his bondsmen.(j)   A notary public shall not perform any notarial act when his or her commission is suspended or revoked, nor shall he or she fail to comply with any term of suspension which may be imposed for violation of this Section. (Source: P.A. 100-81, eff. 1-1-18; 100-809, eff. 1-1-19.)(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 102-160)Sec. 6-104. Acts prohibited.(a) A notary public shall not use any name or initial in signing  certificates other than that by which the notary was commissioned.(b) A notary public shall not acknowledge any instrument in which the  notary's name appears as a party to the transaction.(c) A notary public shall not affix his signature to a blank form of  affidavit or certificate of acknowledgment.(d) A notary public shall not take the acknowledgment of or administer  an oath to any person whom the notary actually knows to have been adjudged  mentally ill by a court of competent jurisdiction and who has not been  restored to mental health as a matter of record.(e) A notary public shall not take the acknowledgment of any person who  is blind until the notary has read the instrument to such person.(f) A notary public shall not take the acknowledgment of any person who  does not speak or understand the English language, unless the nature and  effect of the instrument to be notarized is translated into a language  which the person does understand.(g) A notary public shall not change anything in a written instrument  after it  has been signed by anyone.(h) No notary public shall be authorized to prepare any legal  instrument, or fill in the blanks of an instrument, other than a notary  certificate; however, this prohibition shall not prohibit an attorney,  who is also a notary public, from performing notarial acts for any document  prepared by that attorney.(i) If a notary public accepts or receives any money from any one to  whom an oath has been administered or on behalf of whom an acknowledgment  has been taken for the purpose of transmitting or forwarding such money to  another and willfully fails to transmit or forward such money promptly, the  notary is personally liable for any loss sustained because of such failure.  The person or persons damaged by such failure may bring an action to  recover damages, together with interest and reasonable attorney fees,  against such notary public or his bondsmen.(j)   A notary public shall not perform any notarial act when his or her commission is suspended or revoked, nor shall he or she fail to comply with any term of suspension which may be imposed for violation of this Section.(k)   No notary public shall be authorized to explain, certify, or verify the contents of any document; however, this prohibition shall not prohibit an attorney, who is also a notary public, from performing notarial acts for any document prepared by that attorney.(l) A notary public shall not represent himself or herself as an electronic notary public if the person has not been commissioned as an electronic notary public by the Secretary of State.(m)   No person shall knowingly create, manufacture, or distribute software or hardware for the purpose of allowing a person to act as an electronic notary public without being commissioned in accordance with this Act.  A violation of this subsection (m) is a Class A misdemeanor.(n) No person shall wrongfully obtain, conceal, damage, or destroy the technology or device used to create the electronic signature or seal of an electronic notary public.  A violation of this subsection (n) is a Class A misdemeanor.(o) A notary public shall not sell, rent, transfer, or otherwise make available to a third party, other than the electronic notarization platform, the contents of the notarial journal, audio-video recordings, or any other record associated with any notarial act, including personally identifiable information, except when required by law, law enforcement, the Secretary of State, or a court order. Upon written request of a third party, which request must include the name of the parties, the type of document, and the month and year in which a record was notarized, a notary public may supply a copy of the line item representing the requested transaction after personally identifying information has been redacted.(p)  The Secretary of State may suspend the commission of a notary or electronic notary who fails to produce any journal entry within 10 days after receipt of a request from the Secretary of State.(q)  Upon surrender, revocation, or expiration of a commission as a notary or electronic notary, all notarial records or electronic notarial records required under this Section, except as otherwise provided by law, must be kept by the notary public or electronic notary for a period of 5 years after the termination of the registration of the notary public or electronic notary public. (Source: P.A. 102-160 (See Section 99 of P.A. 102-160 for effective date of P.A. 102-160).)