A new Louisiana law raising the required surety bond for non-attorney notaries may have left many commissioned notaries unaware that their status has changed.

Under Act 258, the required bond amount for non-attorney notaries increased from $10,000 to $50,000. The change means notaries who did not update their bond paperwork may now be listed as suspended through the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office.

After a quick review by the Red River Parish Journal, multiple Red River Parish notaries appeared with a suspended status, suggesting the issue may affect more local notaries than many realize.

The change applies to Louisiana non-attorney notaries and is intended to increase protection for the public during notarial acts. However, notaries who missed the update or were unaware of the new requirement may not be legally active until their status is corrected.

Notaries can verify their commission status through the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Notary and Certifications portal at www.sos.la.gov/NotaryAndCertifications.

Residents who rely on notary services may also want to confirm that a notary is active before having documents notarized.