Authorizes any member of the Legislature to perform all functions of notary public.

A5056

ASSEMBLY, No. 5056

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 14, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Authorizes any member of the Legislature to perform
all functions of notary public.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning notaries public, amending
R.S.46:14-6.1
and supplementing Title 46 of the Revised Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� R.S.46:14-6.1 is amended
to read as follows:

���� 46:14-6.1.� Officers
authorized to take acknowledgments.�

���� a.� The officers of this State
authorized to take acknowledgments or proofs in this State, or in any other
United States or foreign jurisdiction, are:�

���� (1)� an attorney-at-law;

���� (2)� a notary public;

���� (3)� a county clerk or deputy
county clerk;

���� (4)� a register of deeds and
mortgages or a deputy register;

���� (5)� a surrogate or deputy
surrogate
;

����
(6)� a member of the State
Legislature
.

���� b.� The officers authorized to
take acknowledgments or proofs, in addition to those listed in subsection a.,
are:�

���� (1)� any officer of the United
States, of a state, territory or district of the United States, or of a foreign
nation authorized at the time and place of the acknowledgment or proof by the
laws of that jurisdiction to take acknowledgments or proofs. If the certificate
of acknowledgment or proof does not designate the officer as a justice, judge
or notary, the certificate of acknowledgment or proof, or an affidavit appended
to it, shall contain a statement of the officer's authority to take
acknowledgments or proofs;�

���� (2)� a foreign service or
consular officer or other representative of the United States to any foreign
nation, within the territory of that nation.�

(cf: P.L.2021, c.179, s.31)

���� 2.� (New section)� a.� (1) A member
of the State Legislature who validates an affidavit, acknowledgment, proof,
oath, or affirmation taken before the member in accordance with the provisions
of chapter 14 of Title 46 of the Revised Statutes or R.S.41:2-1 may, but shall
not be required to, affix a raised seal to the document indicating that he or
she is a member of the Legislature of the State of New Jersey and, as such, is
authorized by statute to perform such validations.

���� (2)� The seal, which shall be
provided by the State Treasurer to a member of the Legislature upon request,
shall include a depiction of �

the State Seal.� Any legislator
using such a seal shall return the seal to the State Treasurer upon leaving
office.

���� b.��� Validation of an
affidavit, acknowledgment, proof, oath, or

affirmation by a member of the
Legislature pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall have the same force
and effect as validation and the affixing of a seal by a notary public.

���� 3. �The State Treasurer,
pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et
seq.), shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes
of this act.

���� 4.��� This act shall take
effect on the 90
th
day following enactment except the State
Treasurer may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall
be necessary for the implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill would authorize
members of the Legislature to perform all functions of notaries public, and to
affix a raised seal to notarized documents.

���� Currently, legislators are
authorized to perform some notarial functions pursuant to R.S.41:2-1. This
statute provides that legislators are authorized to take oaths, affirmations,
and affidavits.� Under the bill, members of the Legislature would also be
authorized to take acknowledgements or proofs.� Currently, under R.S.46:14-6.1,
acknowledgements or proofs may be taken only by an attorney-at-law, a notary
public, a county clerk or deputy county clerk, a register of deeds and
mortgages or a deputy register, a surrogate or deputy surrogate, and certain
federal officials and officials of other states.

���� The bill also provides that a
member of the Legislature who validates an affidavit, acknowledgment, proof,
oath, or affirmation may, but would not be required to, affix a raised seal to
the document indicating that he or she is a member of the Legislature of the
State of New Jersey and, as such, is authorized by statute to perform such
validations. The seal, which would be provided by the State Treasurer to a
member of the Legislature upon request, would include a depiction of the State
Seal.� The bill provides that any legislator using such a seal would be
required to return it to the State Treasurer upon leaving office.

���� The bill specifies that the
validation of an affidavit, acknowledgment, proof, oath, or affirmation by a
member of the Legislature in accordance with the bill would have the same force
and effect as validation by a notary public.