HI Notary - Hawaii Notary Prohibited Acts and Misconduct Questions and Answers

Question 1

A Hawaii notary public is presented with a document written in a language they do not understand.
The signer appears to be fluent in that language but not in English.
Which of the following is the most appropriate action for the notary to take?

Accepted Answer

Refuse to notarize the document.

Answer

Proceed with the notarization as long as the notarial certificate is in English.

Answer

Ask a bilingual person in the vicinity to translate the document for the notary.

Answer

Notarize the document but make a note in the journal that the language was foreign.

Question 2

Under Hawaii law, which of the following actions constitutes a prohibited act for a notary public?

Accepted Answer

Providing legal advice to the signer regarding the document's contents.

Answer

Charging a fee of $5.00 for administering an oath.

Answer

Notarizing a document for a family member when the notary has no beneficial interest.

Answer

Notarizing a document on a Sunday or legal holiday.

Question 3

A client asks a Hawaii notary to notarize a signature on a document that has several blank spaces. The client assures the notary they will fill in the blanks later. What should the notary do?

Accepted Answer

Refuse to notarize the signature on the incomplete document.

Answer

Proceed with the notarization but have the client initial the blank spaces.

Answer

Complete the notarization and make a detailed note in the record book about the blank spaces.

Answer

Advise the client on what information should be entered in the blank spaces before notarizing.

Question 4

A notary's commission expired two weeks ago. The notary knowingly continues to perform notarial acts, believing the renewal application is still being processed. According to Hawaii law, what is a potential consequence for this misconduct?

Accepted Answer

The commission may be forfeited, and the acts performed are subject to questions of validity.

Answer

A verbal warning from the Attorney General's office.

Answer

The commission is automatically renewed with a late fee.

Answer

The notary's acts are still valid as long as the renewal was submitted on time.

Question 5

Which of the following scenarios represents a conflict of interest that would prohibit a Hawaii notary from performing a notarial act?

Accepted Answer

Notarizing a real estate deed where the notary is the grantee (receiver of the property).

Answer

Notarizing a document for a coworker.

Answer

Notarizing a document for a sibling, where the notary gains no financial benefit.

Answer

Notarizing a document for an employee of a bank, where the notary is also an employee.

Question 6

Failure to include the date of notarization, the notary's signature, and the official stamp or seal in a notarial certificate is a violation that can lead to what penalty in Hawaii?

Accepted Answer

A misdemeanor charge and automatic revocation of the notary's commission upon conviction.

Answer

A mandatory retraining course.

Answer

A civil penalty of $50.

Answer

A temporary suspension of the commission for 30 days.

A Hawaii notary public is presented with a document written in a language they do not understand.The signer appears to be fluent in that language but not in English.Which of the following is the most appropriate action for the notary to take?

A Hawaii notary public is presented with a document written in a language they do not understand.
The signer appears to be fluent in that language but not in English.
Which of the following is the most appropriate action for the notary to take?