What is a fundamental duty of Georgia notaries when serving the public?

• A. Serve the public in an impartial manner
• B. Favor clients with the best business
• C. Provide legal advice
• D. Expand acts beyond law

Answer: (A)

Notaries serve the public by acting impartially. This means they treat all signers equally and do not let personal interests, relationships, or pressure influence how they perform notarial duties. Impartiality is what gives notarizations credibility and protects against fraud or coercion; if a notary appears biased or favors a particular party, the validity of the notarization can be challenged and the notary may face discipline. In Georgia, the role includes administering oaths and acknowledgments and verifying identities, all while maintaining neutrality so every signer is treated fairly under the law.

Other options describe practices that aren’t appropriate for a notary: favoring clients would undermine trust and violate the duty of neutrality; providing legal advice goes beyond a notary’s authority, since notaries aren’t practicing law; expanding or altering acts beyond what the law allows is illegal.