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Unlike any other state in the Union, Louisiana’s Civil Law System, based upon the French Napoleon Code takes a civil law approach and provides that much of our legal documentation is to be passed before a NOTARY PUBLIC. In Louisiana, a Notary is considered a public official who has qualified for a Governor’s Commission which authorizes a broad range of powers that you will not find in practice by the Notaries of other states. Many of the legal documents that you would typically find reserved to be done strictly by attorneys in other states can be performed by a Civil Law Notary in Louisiana. Non-Attorney Notaries must demonstrate by a proficiency test in several areas of the law that are within the scope of the powers of a notary public.

This test is so extensive that the majority of the participants will fail on their first try and it requires extensive study to master the elements of the material. Licensed attorneys may be exempted from the exam but otherwise all Louisiana Notaries, whether they are Attorneys or Non-Attorneys must go through the same process to obtain a commission.The Notary shall, as a government official, serve all of the public in an honest, fair and unbiased manner. The Notary shall act as an impartial witness. The Notary shall require the presence of each signer and oath-taker in order to carefully screen each for identity and willingness, and to observe that each appears aware of the significance of the transaction requiring a notarial act.